JP2020044844A - Joint structure - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a joint structure and a manufacturing method of the same, in which both members to be mutually bonded are uniformly and surely brought into close contact with each other without using a glass plate.SOLUTION: A joint structure 100 comprises: a light absorbable member 102 having at least one opening O; and a light transmissive member 106 superposed on the light absorbable member 102 so as to cover the opening O, and joined to the light absorbable member 102 via an annular welding part 104 surrounding the opening O, in which the light transmissive member 106 is formed into a thin plate shape adhered to the light absorbable member 102 by deforming it when the inside of the opening O is decompressed before the annular welded part 104 is formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a joint structure including a light-absorbing member and a light-transmitting member that are overlapped with each other and joined to each other via a welded portion formed at or near a boundary surface thereof, and a method of manufacturing the same.

  Conventionally, as a method of joining a plurality of members, there is a joining method by laser beam irradiation, and recently, among these, local heating is performed, so that heat damage to the product is small, and the effect of the welded portion on the appearance is reduced. Attention has been paid to a small number of laser transmission welding methods (Laser Transmission Welding). In this bonding method, a member having a property of transmitting laser light (a light transmitting member) is used as one of the bonding members, and a material having a property of absorbing the laser light (a light absorbing member) is used as the other of the bonding members. By irradiating the laser light from the light transmitting member side in a state where these are superimposed on each other and pressurized, the energy of the irradiated laser light is absorbed near the boundary surface of the light absorbing member and generates heat. In this method, both members are melted by transmitting heat to the light transmissive member, and finally, the melted portion is cooled and solidified to join the two members.

  The laser transmission welding method has several important points, and particularly important is to press the members to be bonded to each other to ensure close contact. If there is a gap between the members to be joined, the heat generated by the light absorbing member due to the laser irradiation will not be transmitted well to the opposing light transmitting member, and welding such as bulging, expansion and explosion will occur due to local temperature rise. This is because it becomes defective.

  This pressurization is generally realized by a method in which a glass plate having transparency to laser light is disposed on a light-transmitting member, and a pressing force is applied to both members via the glass plate ( See Patent Document 1 below). However, in the case of this method, the glass plate is contaminated by soot and a vaporization component of the flame retardant generated when the joining member is heated and melted, and the absorption rate of the glass plate with respect to laser light is increased, and the glass plate itself is heated and cracked. There is a problem. In addition, the dirty glass plate blocks the laser beam and prevents sufficient light from reaching the light-absorbing member, resulting in a decrease in welding strength.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 2 below proposes a method in which members to be joined are brought into close contact with each other by suction without using a glass plate. Specifically, in the method described in Patent Document 2, a groove is formed in one of the members to be joined, and the two members are brought into close contact with each other by reducing the pressure in the space of the groove. However, as a result of thermal deformation of one or both of the members to be joined when welding by laser irradiation or warping of the members to be joined at the time of molding, a gap is generated between the members to be joined. May lower the suction adhesion.

JP-A-62-142092 WO 2010/035696 pamphlet

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a joint structure suitable for uniformly and surely adhering members to be joined to each other without using a glass plate, and without using a glass plate. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a joined structure in which members to be joined can be uniformly and surely brought into close contact with each other.

  A joint structure of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problem, a light-absorbing member having at least one opening, a light-transmitting member disposed on the light-absorbing member so as to cover the opening, An annular welded portion surrounding the opening and joining the light absorbing member and the light transmissive member is formed, and the light transmissive member is located inside the opening before the annular welded portion is formed. Are deformed when depressurized, and are formed in a thin plate shape closely adhering to the light absorbing member.

  In this case, the light transmissive member is deformed when the inside of the opening is reduced to a gauge pressure of −80 kPa or more and −20 kPa or less before the annular welded portion is formed, and the light transmissive member adheres to the light absorbing member. Preferably, it is formed to a thickness.

  Further, the joint structure of the present invention preferably includes a point-like welded portion located adjacent to the annular welded portion and joining the light-absorbing member and the light-transmitting member.

  A joint structure of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problem, a light-absorbing member having at least one opening, a light-transmitting member disposed on the light-absorbing member so as to cover the opening, And an annular welded portion surrounding the opening and joining the light absorbing member and the light transmissive member is formed, and the light transmissive member has an annular welded portion outside the annular welded portion. It is characterized in that it has a thin piece that deforms when the inside of the opening is decompressed in a state before it is formed and adheres to the light absorbing member.

  In this case, the thin piece is deformed when the inside of the opening is reduced to a gauge pressure of −80 kPa or more and −20 kPa or less before the annular welded portion is formed, and the thin piece is formed to have a thickness that is in close contact with the light absorbing member. It is preferred that

  In the joint structure of the present invention, it is preferable that the thin piece is formed along the peripheral edge of the light absorbing member.

  Further, the joint structure of the present invention preferably includes a point-like welded portion that is located adjacent to the annular welded portion and joins the light-absorbing member and the light-transmitting member.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a method of manufacturing a bonded structure according to the present invention includes a step of superimposing a light-transmitting member on a light-absorbing member having at least one opening so as to cover the opening. A method of manufacturing a joining structure for joining a light absorbing member and a light transmitting member by forming an annular welded portion so as to surround an opening by irradiating a laser beam from a side, comprising: Is deformed when the inside of the opening is depressurized before the annular welded portion is formed, and is formed in a thin plate shape that is in close contact with the light absorbing member, and the annular welded portion is formed. In this case, the light transmitting member is deformed by depressurizing the inside of the opening, and the laser light is irradiated from the light transmitting member side in a state in which the light transmitting member is in close contact with the light absorbing member.

  In this case, the light transmissive member is deformed when the inside of the opening is reduced to a pressure of −80 kPa or more and −20 kPa or less with a gauge pressure before the annular welded portion is formed, and the light transmissive member adheres to the light absorbing member. It is preferable to form it to a thickness.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a method of manufacturing a bonded structure according to the present invention includes a step of superimposing a light-transmitting member on a light-absorbing member having at least one opening so as to cover the opening. A method of manufacturing a joining structure for joining a light absorbing member and a light transmitting member by forming an annular welded portion so as to surround an opening by irradiating a laser beam from a side, comprising: Outside the annular welded portion, a thin piece that is deformed and adheres to the light absorbing member when the inside of the opening is depressurized before the annular welded portion is formed is formed. In forming an annular welded portion, a laser beam is irradiated from the light transmitting member side in a state in which the thin piece is deformed by reducing the pressure in the opening and brought into close contact with the light absorbing member. is there.

  In this case, the thin piece is deformed when the inside of the opening is reduced to a gauge pressure of −80 kPa or more and −20 kPa or less before the annular welded portion is formed, and the thin piece is formed to have a thickness that is in close contact with the light absorbing member. It is preferable to keep it.

  In the method for manufacturing a joined structure according to the present invention, it is preferable that the thin piece is formed along the peripheral edge of the light-absorbing member.

  Further, in the method for manufacturing a joined structure according to the present invention, after the light-transmitting member is overlapped with the light-absorbing member and before forming the annular welded portion, from the light-transmitting member side. It is preferable to form a point-like welded portion for joining the light absorbing member and the light transmitting member by irradiating the laser beam.

  Furthermore, in the method for manufacturing a joined structure according to the present invention, it is preferable that a suction opening connected to the opening and communicating with an external decompression device is formed in the light absorbing member.

  Furthermore, in the method for manufacturing a joint structure of the present invention, after forming the annular welded portion, the suction opening is melted by irradiating laser light from the light transmitting member side while maintaining the reduced pressure in the opening, It is preferred to occlude.

  Further, in the method for manufacturing a joined structure according to the present invention, it is preferable that the pressure in the opening is reduced while supplying a purge gas into the opening.

  In this case, it is preferable that the pressure reduction in the opening and the supply of the purge gas into the opening are performed through the suction opening using a double pipe.

  Further, in the method for manufacturing a joined structure of the present invention, after forming the annular welded portion, continuously holding the reduced pressure in the opening, or pressurizing the inside of the opening, or alternately performing reduced pressure and pressurized, At that time, it is preferable to conduct an airtightness test of the annular welded portion by measuring a change in pressure per unit time.

  Further, in the method for manufacturing a joined structure according to the present invention, the pressure in the opening is constantly detected, and based on the change in the pressure, the close contact between the light absorbing member and the light transmitting member and the annular welding are performed. It is preferable to determine the start of the formation of the portion and the completion of the formation of the annular welded portion.

  According to the present invention, in the production of the joined structure, the light absorbing member and the light transmitting member that are joined to each other are formed in a thin plate shape by reducing the pressure in the opening. Since the thin piece provided on the member can be deformed and brought into close contact with the light absorbing member, excellent suction adhesion between the light absorbing member and the light transmitting member can be obtained.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a joint structure suitable for uniformly and surely adhering members joined to each other without using a glass plate, and to use a glass plate. Without this, it is possible to provide a method of manufacturing a joined structure in which members joined to each other can be uniformly and surely brought into close contact with each other.

1A and 1B show a joint structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is a perspective view, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2A and 2B show a joint structure according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 2A is a perspective view, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3A and 3B show a joint structure according to still another embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 3A is a perspective view, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views each showing a modified example of a thin piece in the joint structure shown in FIG. 5A and 5B show a light-absorbing member used in the method for manufacturing a joint structure according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 5A is a plan view, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. It is. FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views illustrating a method for manufacturing a joint structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 6A illustrates an arrangement step, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a pressure adjusting device and a laser irradiation device used in the method for manufacturing a bonded structure according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 8A to 8D sequentially show a state in which the annular groove of the light-absorbing member is irradiated with a laser to form an annular welded portion in the method of manufacturing the joined structure according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of another annular groove applicable to the method for manufacturing a joint structure of the present invention. 10A and 10B show a connector according to an example according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 10A is a perspective view and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view. 11A and 11B show a sensor according to an example according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 11A is a perspective view and FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, similar members or portions are denoted by reference numerals obtained by adding either “100” or “200” to the reference numerals,
Duplicate description will be omitted.

  1A and 1B show a joint structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is a perspective view, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. As shown in this figure, the joint structure 100 of the present embodiment has a light-absorbing member 102 having an opening O and a light-absorbing member 102 that covers the light-absorbing member 102 so as to cover the opening O. A light-transmitting member 106 joined to the light-absorbing member 102 via a surrounding annular welded portion 104. It should be noted that the term “annular” means not only a circular shape like a ring, but also a continuously closed shape (endless shape). Therefore, “annular” includes not only a circle and an ellipse but also a rectangle, a polygon, and other closed shapes. The welding portion 104 is formed on the boundary surface F between the light transmitting member 106 and the light absorbing member 102, and will be described later in detail. The light absorbing member 102 is irradiated with a laser beam to first generate heat and melt the light absorbing member 102, thereby melting the light transmitting member 106 with the heat, and then solidifying the melted portion. be able to.

  The light absorptive member 102 is a member having a higher absorptance for laser light than the absorptivity for the same laser light of the light transmissive member 106, and is mainly made of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer, and is formed by injection molding or the like. Can be. Specifically, a material having an absorptance of 10% or more with respect to laser light selected from laser light having an oscillation wavelength center within a wavelength range of 193 to 10600 nm is preferable. Examples of the laser include a carbon dioxide laser (wavelength: about 10600 nm), a Nd: YAG laser (wavelength: about 1064 nm), a green laser (wavelength: about 532 nm), which is the second harmonic of a Nd: YVO4 laser, and a diode laser (wavelength: about 800 nm). , 840 nm, or 950 nm), an excimer laser (wavelength: about 193 nm), and the like. In order to adjust the absorptance of the light absorbing member 102, a black colorant such as carbon black, a pigment, a dye, or the like can be kneaded with a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer.

  As the thermoplastic resin, for example, polyamide resin, polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, polyethylene terephthalate resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, polyphenyl ether resin, polystyrene resin, high impact polystyrene resin, hydrogenated polystyrene resin, polyacrylstyrene resin, ABS Resin, AS resin, AES resin, ASA resin, SMA resin, polyalkyl methacrylate resin, polymethyl methacrylate resin, polycarbonate resin, polyester resin, polyphenylene sulfide, liquid crystal polymer and the like. Examples of the thermoplastic elastomer include a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer, an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, a polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer, a polyurethane-based thermoplastic elastomer, and a PVC-based thermoplastic elastomer. Glass fiber, mineral, or the like may be kneaded with the thermoplastic resin as a reinforcing material.

  In the illustrated example, the light absorbing member 102 mainly includes a peripheral wall 108 that defines the opening O, and a bottom wall 110 that closes a lower end of the peripheral wall 108. The cross-sectional shape of the peripheral wall 108 is substantially rectangular, but is not limited thereto, and may be any shape such as a circle, an ellipse, a trapezoid, a polygon, and a gourd. The peripheral wall 108 is formed with a suction opening 112 that is connected to the opening O and is suitable for reducing the pressure inside the opening O as described later. The suction opening 112 may be formed in the bottom wall 110. Alternatively, the lower end of the peripheral wall 109 may be opened without providing the bottom wall 110, and the lower end opening may be used as the suction opening 112.

  The light transmissive member 106 is a member having a lower absorptivity for the laser light than the absorptivity of the light absorptive member 102 for the laser light, and is mainly made of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer, and can be formed by injection molding or the like. it can. Specifically, a laser beam having a lower absorptance than that of the light-absorbing member 102 with respect to a laser beam selected from laser beams having an oscillation wavelength center within a wavelength range of 193 to 10600 nm is preferable.

  As the thermoplastic resin constituting the light transmitting member 106, for example, polyamide resin, polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, polyethylene terephthalate resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, polyphenyl ether resin, polystyrene resin, high impact polystyrene resin, hydrogenated polystyrene Resin, polyacryl styrene resin, ABS resin, AS resin, AES resin, ASA resin, SMA resin, polyalkyl methacrylate resin, polymethyl methacrylate resin, polycarbonate resin, polyester resin, polyphenylene sulfide, liquid crystal polymer and the like. Examples of the thermoplastic elastomer include a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer, an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, a polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer, a polyurethane-based thermoplastic elastomer, and a PVC-based thermoplastic elastomer. The thermoplastic resin may be kneaded with glass fiber, mineral, or the like as a reinforcing material. The thermoplastic resin or the thermoplastic elastomer may be kneaded with, for example, a white pigment or a chromatic colorant such as yellow, green, or red as long as an absorptivity lower than the absorptivity of the light absorbing member can be obtained.

  The light transmissive member 106 is deformed when the inside of the opening O is depressurized before the annular welded portion 104 is formed, and its peripheral edge is formed by the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102. Is formed in a thin plate shape that is in close contact with the upper end surface of the. Accordingly, even when a gap is formed between the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 when the light transmitting member 106 is superimposed on the light absorbing member 102, When the pressure in the opening O is reduced through the suction opening 112, the light transmitting member 106 can be brought into close contact with the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102, so that vacuum leakage is prevented and the light transmitting member 106 and light Excellent suction adhesion between the absorbent members 102 can be obtained.

  In order to ensure this, the light transmissive member 106 is deformed when the inside of the opening O is reduced to a gauge pressure of −80 kPa or more and −20 kPa or less before the annular welded portion 104 is formed. In addition, it is preferable that it is formed to have a thickness that exhibits easy deformability in close contact with the light absorbing member 102. Specifically, in order to secure adhesion by sufficient deformation, the thickness of the light transmitting member 106 is preferably set to 0.005 mm to 0.2 mm, and 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm in consideration of moldability. Is more preferable.

  The light transmissive member 106 is deformed when the inside of the opening O is reduced to a gauge pressure of −80 kPa or more and −20 kPa or less before the annular welded portion 104 is formed. It is preferable to select or adjust a material having a tensile elastic modulus (Young's modulus) in the range of 0.01 to 18 GPa so as to make close contact. When the tensile elastic modulus (Young's modulus) of the light transmitting member 106 is set to be larger than 18 GPa, it is necessary to form the light transmitting member 106 extremely thin so as to be easily deformed when the inside of the opening O is depressurized. For example, when the light transmitting member 106 is formed by injection molding, the resin does not flow into a thin portion, which causes a molding failure. On the other hand, if the tensile elastic modulus (Young's modulus) of the light transmitting member 106 is less than 0.01 GPa, the rigidity of the material itself becomes low, and it becomes difficult to maintain its own shape, and the target shape is placed at a target position. Positioning becomes difficult. The material of the light-transmitting member 106 has a tensile modulus of elasticity (Young's modulus) within the range of 6 to 10 GPa in order to balance the easy-deformability, moldability, and positioning properties of the light-transmitting member 106 at a higher level. It is more preferable to select or adjust. This tensile elastic modulus (Young's modulus) conforms to the provisions of JIS K7161, and a test specimen described in JIS K7162 is attached to a tensile tester, and a stress-strain curve is drawn from stress and strain (deformation amount), and the slope is plotted. Can be obtained from In this case, if the stress-strain curve is not linear and it is difficult to calculate the slope, use a secant coefficient (slope of the straight line connecting the point on the stress-strain curve and the origin) as an alternative coefficient of Young's modulus. Can be.

  In addition, in the joint structure 100 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, a point-shaped joint between the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 is provided at a position adjacent to the annular welded portion 104. Is provided. Thereby, the bonding strength between the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 is further increased.

  As in the case of the annular welded portion 104, the dotted welded portion 114 can be formed by irradiating laser light from the light transmissive member 106 side to the light absorbing member 102. When the light-transmitting member 106 is substantially rectangular, it is preferable that the dot-shaped welded portion 114 is formed adjacent to the corner portion. The warp due to thermal deformation of the light transmissive member 106 during the formation of the surface is effectively suppressed, and when the pressure in the opening O is reduced, the thin plate-shaped light transmissive member 106 is easily deformed in combination with the adhesion effect. Thus, even better suction adhesion between the light transmitting member 106 and the light absorbing member 102 can be obtained.

  Further, in the joint structure 100 of the present embodiment, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 1B, the light transmitting member 106 of the welded portion 104 is viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the extending direction of the annular welded portion 104. A portion on the light-absorbing member 102 side (the portion above the boundary surface F in the figure) with respect to the area S1 of the portion on the side (the portion above the boundary surface F in the drawing, also referred to as the “first portion” hereinafter). The ratio of the area S2 of the lower part (hereinafter also referred to as “second part”) is in the range of 12 to 35. When the ratio is less than 12, peeling (interfacial peeling) or welding starting from the boundary of the annular welded portion 104 when a force for peeling the light transmissive member 106 from the light absorbing member 102 is applied. There is a possibility that peeling may occur when at least a part of the portion of the portion 104 on the light absorbing member 102 side is integrated with the light transmitting member 106. Also, this type of delamination is difficult to inspect nondestructively in industrial production. If the ratio of the area S2 to the area S1 is 12 or more, peeling is unlikely to occur in the welded portion 104, and when a force for peeling the light transmissive member 106 from the light absorbing member 102 is applied, the light transmissive member 106 Alternatively, since the light absorbing member 102 itself breaks down, the member 102, 106 can be stably produced by designing (setting) the welding strength by controlling the strength of the members 102, 106. On the other hand, if the above ratio exceeds 35, it is necessary to increase the power or lengthen the irradiation time in order to reach the laser beam to the depth of the light absorbing member 102, so that the thermal effect on the light transmitting member 106 ( There is a possibility that bulges, bubbles, melting on the surface, carbonization or discoloration due to burning) or thermal effects on the light absorbing member 102 (carbonization due to burning, generation of bubbles) may become apparent. In order to avoid these heat effects and to suppress and prevent peeling at the welded portion 104 with higher dimensions, the ratio of the area S2 to the area S1 is more preferably in the range of 19 to 26.

  As described above, by setting the ratio of the area S2 of the light absorbing member side portion to the area S1 of the light transmitting member side portion of the welding portion 104 within the above range, the annular welding portion 104 can be secured while maintaining the bonding strength. Since the thermal effect on the light transmitting member 106 due to the formation of the light transmitting member 106 can be reduced and the heat distortion of the light transmitting member 106 can be suppressed, the thin plate-shaped light transmitting member 106 can easily be formed when the pressure in the opening O is reduced. In addition to the adhesion effect due to the deformation, it is possible to obtain more excellent suction adhesion between the light transmitting member 106 and the light absorbing member 102.

  Note that the welded portion 104 having the areas S1 and S2 under the above ratio can be formed by a method for manufacturing a joint structure described later with reference to FIG. In calculating the areas S1 and S2, the range (boundary) of the welded portion 104 is cut in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the welded portion 104 to form a test piece, and the cross section of the test piece is optically obtained. The determination can be made by observing with a microscope or an electron microscope, or by confirming a tomographic image using X-ray CT.

  When the light-transmitting member 106 is manufactured by injection molding, the light-transmitting member 106 projects downward from the mold due to the position of the gate, the flow of the molten resin, uneven cooling after being taken out of the mold, and the like. Or a warp that is convex toward the upper surface side may occur. The warpage convex to the lower surface side is caused between the peripheral edge of the light transmitting member 106 and the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102 when the light transmitting member 106 is superimposed on the light absorbing member 102. It is not preferable because a gap is generated. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the concave portion 116 having a reduced thickness is formed on the lower surface (the surface on the light absorbing member 102 side) of the light transmitting member 106 over 50% or more of the inner region of the annular welded portion 104. Thereby, the direction of the warp is guided in a direction protruding toward the upper surface. When the area where the concave portion 116 is formed is less than 50% of the inner area of the annular welded portion 104, the shrinkage of the resin material which causes the warpage is sufficient to induce the warpage of the entire light transmitting member 106. There is a possibility that power cannot be obtained. Further, in order to prevent the amount of warpage from becoming excessive, the depth of the concave portion 116 is preferably set to 50% or less of the plate thickness. If the depth of the concave portion 116 exceeds 50% of the plate thickness, the rigidity of the light-transmitting member 106 is reduced due to the contraction of the resin material, which is a cause of warpage, and twisting occurs. A gap is formed between the light transmitting member 106 and the light absorbing member 102, resulting in insufficient adhesion, which may cause misalignment or welding failure (excessive temperature rise or unmelting due to non-transmission of heat). is there.

With reference to FIG. 2, a description will be given of a joint structure 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The joint structure 200 of this embodiment differs from the joint structure 100 of the previous embodiment in that a plurality of openings O are formed in the light absorbing member 202.

  Specifically, the light absorbing member 202 has a top wall 218 connected to the upper end of the peripheral wall 208, and a plurality of slits 220 extending in the same direction are formed in the top wall 218 so that the opening O Is partitioned. The top wall 218 restricts the bending deformation of the light transmitting member 206 when an impact or a load is applied to the upper surface of the light transmitting member 206 from the outside, so that the light transmitting member 206 and the welded portions 204 and 214 are damaged. Can be prevented. Further, since the top wall 218 acts like a beam, the peripheral wall 208 of the light absorbing member 202 can be reinforced.

  The concave portion 216 of the light transmitting member 206 has an effect of controlling the direction and amount of warpage of the light transmitting member 206 as described above. In addition, the concave portion 216 of the light transmitting member 206 and the top wall 218 have the same effect. By maintaining a gap therebetween, it is possible to prevent the light transmissive member 206 from contacting the top wall 218 when the opening O is depressurized, thereby preventing the negative pressure receiving area from decreasing. When the negative pressure receiving area decreases, the light transmitting member 206 cannot be sufficiently deformed by the vacuum pressure, and there is a possibility that the suction adhesion between the light transmitting member 206 and the light absorbing member 202 may be impaired. Also from the viewpoint of preventing this, it is preferable that the formation area of the concave portion 216 formed in the light transmitting member 206 be 50% or more of the inner area of the annular welded portion 104.

  Also in the joint structure 200 of the present embodiment, similarly to the joint structure 100 of the previous embodiment, the annular welded portion 204 has an area of a portion on the light transmitting member 206 side when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the extending direction. The ratio of the area S2 of the portion on the light absorbing member 202 side to S1 is in the range of 12 to 35, and more preferably in the range of 19 to 26.

  Referring to FIG. 3, a description will be given of a joint structure 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the joint structure 300 of this embodiment, the inside of the opening O is decompressed at a position outside the annular welded portion 304 of the light transmitting member 300 before the annular welded portion 304 is formed. This is different from the joint structures 100 and 200 of the previous embodiment in that a thin piece 324 is provided which is deformed in the case where the thin portion 324 is brought into close contact with the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 308 of the light absorbing member 302. Accordingly, when the light transmitting member 306 is superimposed on the light absorbing member 302, even when a gap is formed between the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 308 of the light absorbing member 302 and the light transmitting member 306, When the inside of the opening O is depressurized through the suction opening 312, the thin piece 324 of the light transmitting member 306 can be drawn to and adhered to the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 308 of the light absorbing member 302, so that vacuum breakage due to air leakage can be prevented. Thus, excellent suction adhesion can be obtained between the light transmitting member 306 and the light absorbing member 302.

  In order to ensure this, the thin piece 324 deforms when the inside of the opening O is reduced to a gauge pressure of −80 kPa or more and −20 kPa or less before the annular welded portion 304 is formed, It is preferable that it is formed to a thickness that exhibits easy deformability in close contact with the light absorbing member 302. Specifically, the thickness of the thin piece is preferably set to 0.005 mm to 0.2 mm in order to secure adhesion due to sufficient deformation, and 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm in consideration of formability. Is more preferred.

  In the example shown in FIG. 3, the thin piece 324 is formed horizontally so as to extend along the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 308 of the light absorbing member 302 from the lower end of the peripheral portion of the light transmitting member 306, but is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 4A, the light-transmissive member 306 may hang down from the lower end of the peripheral edge along the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 308, or as shown in FIG. An annular groove 326 may be formed on the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 308, and the thin piece 324 may be hung down from the lower surface of the light transmitting member 306 and inserted into the annular groove 326.

  Also in the joint structure 300 of the present embodiment, like the joint structures 100 and 200 of the previous embodiment, the annular welded portion 304 has a portion on the light transmitting member 306 side when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the extending direction. The ratio of the area S2 of the portion on the light absorbing member 302 side to the area S1 is within the range of 12 to 35, and more preferably within the range of 19 to 26.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9, a description will be given of a method for manufacturing a joint structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, a method for manufacturing the joint structure 100 shown in FIG. 1 will be described as an example, but this manufacturing method is also applied to a case where the joint structures 200 and 300 shown in FIGS. can do.

  First, the first step is a member preparing step, in which the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 are prepared. The material and the basic structure of the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 are as described with reference to FIG. 1 for the joint structure 100, and thus the overlapping description will be omitted.

  5A and 5B show the light absorbing member 102 before being bonded to the light transmitting member 106, wherein FIG. 5A is a plan view, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view along line DD in FIG. . As shown in this figure, an annular groove 130 is formed in advance on the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102 (the surface that comes into contact with the light transmitting member 106), where the annular welded portion 104 is to be formed. Keep it. It is preferable that the width of the annular groove 130 be larger than the diameter of the laser beam applied thereto, and for example, it is preferable that the width be 0.1 mm to 3 mm. When the width of the annular groove 130 is less than 0.1 mm, the width of the annular welded portion 104 formed there cannot be sufficiently secured, and the welding strength is reduced. There is a possibility that the dust may penetrate and the hermetic performance or the like cannot be maintained. On the other hand, when the width of the annular groove 130 exceeds 3 mm, portions other than the annular welded portion 104 are deformed under the influence of heat due to heat at the time of welding, or due to heat shrinkage when the annular welded portion 104 is solidified. There is a possibility that excessive strain remains in the part and the part is deformed. Further, it is preferable that the depth of the annular groove 130 (the distance from the boundary surface F to the groove bottom) is L / 20 (mm) or more and L (mm) or less, where L is the width of the annular groove 130 (mm). In this way, as described later with reference to FIG. 8, the molten pool generated at the bottom of the annular groove 130 by irradiating the annular groove 130 with the laser beam can be sufficiently expanded, and the heat can be sufficiently and sufficiently supplied. The light can be transmitted to the light transmissive member 106, and a good welded portion 104 can be formed. Further, it is preferable that the depth of the annular groove 130 is not less than L / 10 (mm) and not more than L / 3 (mm) in terms of securing the strength and the airtightness of the welded portion 104. For example, the annular groove 130 can have a groove width L of 0.3 mm and a groove depth of 0.05 (= L / 6) mm. If the depth of the welded portion 130 is less than L / 20 (mm) and is too shallow, the expanded molten pool comes into contact with the light transmitting member 106 immediately after the laser beam is irradiated to the groove bottom of the annular groove 130 and heat is generated. Is diffused, and the molten pool cannot be sufficiently expanded in the lateral direction, which may result in poor welding (a part of the annular groove 130 remains). If the depth of the welded portion 130 exceeds L (mm) and is too deep, the molten pool generated at the groove bottom of the annular groove 130 expands, but cannot reach the light transmitting member 106, and carbonization due to burning on the spot may occur. Discoloration may occur, resulting in poor welding. Although the cross-sectional shape of the annular groove 130 is rectangular in the illustrated example, it may be semicircular or semi-elliptical. At least one (four in the illustrated example, four corresponding to each side) communication groove 132 that connects the annular groove 130 and the inside of the opening O is formed in advance on the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108.

  The second step is an arrangement step of disposing a light transmitting member 106 on the light absorbing member 102 so as to cover the opening O, as shown in FIG.

  The third step is a suction and adhesion step in which the light-absorbing member 102 and the light-transmitting member 106 that are superimposed on each other are suction-adhered, and the suction adhesion is performed by reducing the pressure in the opening O. As shown in the left view of FIG. 6B after the light transmitting member 106 is overlaid on the light absorbing member 102, light transmitting between the light transmitting member 106 and the light absorbing member 102. In some cases, a gap may be formed due to warpage during molding of the transparent member 106 or thermal deformation during welding by laser light, which will be described later. However, since the light-transmitting member 106 is formed in a thin plate shape, FIG. As shown in the right diagram of FIG. 7), by reducing the pressure in the opening O, the peripheral portion of the light transmitting member 106 can be deformed so as to be drawn toward the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 and can be brought into close contact with the upper end surface.

  Specifically, the pressure in the opening O can be reduced through the suction opening 112 formed in the light absorbing member 102 using an external pressure adjusting device D as shown in FIG.

  The pressure adjusting device D mainly includes a pressure reducing device D1, a pressurizing device D2, a controller D3, and a double pipe P connected to the suction opening 112.

  The pressure reducing device D1 has a vacuum pump for sucking and discharging air in the opening O and an electric leak valve (not shown). A pressure sensor PG1 is provided on the suction line L1 of the decompression device D1, so that the pressure in the opening O at the time of decompression can be detected.

  The pressurizing device D2 has a pressurizing tank for supplying a purge gas composed of air or an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon, and a supply valve (not shown). The supply line L2 of the pressurizing device D2 is provided with a pressure sensor PG2, which can detect the pressure in the opening O during pressurization.

  The controller D3 is configured by a PLC (programmable logic controller), a personal computer, or the like, and adjusts the opening of the supply valve and the leak valve. Further, the pressure sensors PG1 and PG2 can also be connected to the controller D3 to control the supply valve and the leak valve based on the detection signals of the pressure sensors PG1 and PG2.

  The double pipe P includes a suction pipe p1 arranged outside and a supply pipe p2 arranged inside. The suction pipe p1 communicates the inside of the opening O with the decompression device D1, and sucks the air in the opening O. The supply pipe p2 communicates the inside of the opening O with the pressurizing device D2, and supplies the purge gas into the opening O. Although illustration is omitted, the outer pipe of the double pipe P can be used as a supply pipe, and the inner pipe can be used as a suction pipe. This is preferable in that the gas generated sometimes can be efficiently removed.

  In the fourth step, as shown in FIG. 7, in a state where the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 are in close contact with each other by suction, the laser beam LB is applied from the light transmitting member 106 side to the peripheral wall of the light absorbing member 102. Irradiation is performed toward the upper end surface of the light-absorbing member 108 to form an annular welded portion 104 and a dot-like welded portion 114 (see FIG. 1) at or near the boundary surface F between the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106. This is a joining step of joining the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 to each other.

  In this joining step, the pressure-reduced state in the opening O is maintained, but it is preferable to supply a purge gas into the opening O via the supply pipe p2 at least while the annular welded portion 104 is formed. In this way, a flow of air can be generated in the opening O, and soot and the vaporized component v of the flame retardant generated at the time of welding can be efficiently discharged and removed to the outside through the suction pipe p1.

  Then, in forming the welded portions 104 and 114, first, a dot-shaped welded portion 114 is formed, and then the annular welded portion 104 is formed. This is because the light-transmitting member 106 is temporarily joined to the light-absorbing member 102 by a point-like welded portion 114 having a relatively small heat load on the light-transmitting member 106, and thereafter, an annular shape having a relatively large heat load is applied. This is for suppressing thermal deformation of the light transmissive member 106 when the welded portion 104 is formed and preventing vacuum breakage due to air leakage caused by the thermal deformation. As the welding of the annular welding portion 104 progresses, the pressure receiving area of the vacuum decreases, so that in order to compensate for the negative pressure, it is preferable to provide three or more point welding portions 114 that can form a plane. In this example, the dot-shaped welded portions 114 are formed at four locations adjacent to the corners of the light transmitting member 106.

  The point-like welded portion 114 is formed by irradiating the laser beam LB to the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102 with the optical head H (FIG. 7) stopped above the light transmitting member 106. Is done. The diameter of the spot-shaped welded portion 114 is preferably about 0.3 to 0.7 mm, and more preferably about 0.5 mm. The annular welded portion 104 is formed by irradiating the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 with the laser beam LB while moving the optical head H along the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102 above the light transmitting member 106. The width of the annular welded portion 104 is preferably about 0.3 to 0.7 mm, and more preferably about 0.5 mm. As a transmitter of the laser beam LB, for example, a fiber laser (wavelength: 1070 nm), a YAG laser (wavelength: 1064 nm), a semiconductor laser (wavelength: 808 nm, 840 nm or 940 nm), a CO2 laser (wavelength: 10600 nm), or the like is used. Can be used.

  Here, with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8D, by irradiating the annular groove 130 formed in advance on the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102 with the laser light LB, the first groove illustrated in FIG. A process for forming the annular welded portion 104 in which the ratio of the area S2 of the second portion to the area S1 of the portion is 12 to 35 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, when the light-absorbing member 102 and the light-transmitting member 106 are brought into close contact with each other by suction, laser light is applied to the groove bottom of the annular groove 130 from the light-transmitting member 106 side. As shown in FIG. 8B, the groove bottom of the annular groove 130 generates heat and melts, and foaming starts in the molten pool. When the laser beam is subsequently irradiated, foaming grows and a molten pool grows as shown in FIG. At this time, due to the presence of the annular groove 130, the molten pool of the light absorbing member 102 does not immediately contact the light transmitting member 106, and the molten pool can be grown to a sufficient width and depth. FIG. 8D shows a state in which the irradiation of the laser beam is stopped after the molten pool reaches the light transmitting member 106, and the formation of the annular welded portion 104 is completed.

  In the present embodiment, since the communication groove 132 that connects the annular groove 130 and the opening O is provided on the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light-absorbing member 102, the soot generated in the process of forming the annular welded portion 104 is formed. The vaporized component v of the flame retardant is sucked and discharged into the opening O through the annular groove 130 and the communication groove 132, and finally discharged to the outside through the suction pipe p1.

  The fifth step is to maintain the reduced pressure in the opening O after forming the annular welded portion 104, or to pressurize the inside of the opening O, or alternately perform the reduced pressure and the increased pressure, and perform the unit time at that time. This is an airtightness inspection step of performing an airtightness test of the annular welded portion 104 by measuring a change in the contact pressure. The pressure in the opening O is measured by the pressure sensors PG1 and PG2 shown in FIG. 7, and the change in pressure per unit time is calculated by the control unit D3, and can be externally output or displayed as necessary. it can. Alternatively, a flow rate sensor (not shown) may be provided in the suction line L1 or the supply line L2, and the airtightness test of the annular welded portion 104 may be performed by measuring a change in flow rate per unit time.

  In a sixth step (not shown), after the formation of the annular welded portion 104, the laser beam LB is irradiated from the light transmitting member 106 side to the inside or around the suction opening 112 while maintaining the reduced pressure in the opening O. This is a suction opening closing step of closing the suction opening 112. Thus, the inside of the opening O can be sealed while the vacuum in the opening O is maintained. Of course, the suction opening 112 may be left open.

  According to the method for manufacturing a joint structure of the present embodiment, the light absorbing member 102 is provided with the opening O, and the pressure in the opening O is reduced so that the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 are separated. Since the suction and contact structure is adopted, the conventional glass plate for press-contacting the two members 102 and 106 can be eliminated, and the various problems caused by the glass plate as described above can be solved. .

  In addition, since the light transmitting member 106 is configured to be easily deformable as the pressure of the opening O is reduced, a gap may be generated between the light transmitting member 106 and the light absorbing member 102 when the light transmitting member 106 is superimposed on the light absorbing member 102. However, by reducing the pressure in the opening O, the gap can be closed by the light transmitting member 106, and excellent suction adhesion can be obtained.

  Further, prior to the formation of the annular welded portion 104, the point-like welded portion 114 is formed and temporarily joined, so that the light transmitting member 106 is formed during the formation of the annular welded portion 104. Thermal deformation can be suppressed, and a decrease in suction adhesion due to the thermal deformation can be prevented.

  Further, an annular groove 130 is formed on the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102, and the annular groove 130 is irradiated with the laser beam LB to form the annular welded portion 104. In addition to being able to obtain high bonding strength by forming the welded portion 104 having a small depth and depth, the thermal effect on the light transmissive member 106 is reduced, and thermal deformation of the light transmissive member 106 during the welding process is suppressed. It is possible to prevent a decrease in suction adhesion due to the thermal deformation.

  Further, since the communication groove 132 communicating the annular groove 130 and the opening O is provided on the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102, soot and flame retardant generated in the process of forming the annular welded portion 104 are removed. The vaporized component v can be sucked into the opening O via the annular groove 130 and the communication groove 132, and finally discharged to the outside via the suction pipe p1.

  Further, by employing a configuration in which the pressure in the opening O is reduced while supplying the purge gas into the opening O, a flow of air is generated in the opening O, and the vaporized component v of soot and a flame retardant is efficiently removed. Can be discharged and removed.

  Further, after the annular welded portion 104 is formed, the pressure in the opening O is continuously maintained, or the pressure in the opening O is increased, or the pressure is reduced and increased alternately. When the airtightness test of the annular welded portion 104 is performed by measuring the change in the flow rate, the manufacturing equipment can be simplified and the manufacturing time can be greatly reduced.

  Further, the pressure in the opening O is constantly detected by the pressure sensor PG1, and based on the change in the pressure, the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 are brought into close contact, the formation of the annular welded portion 104 is started, and When the completion of the formation of the welded portion 104 is determined, it is possible to reduce the processing time during normal production and to quickly respond to the occurrence of an abnormality.

  As described above, the present invention has been described based on the illustrated examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes, additions, and the like can be made within the scope of the claims. For example, in the method of manufacturing the joint structure according to the above-described embodiment, the annular groove 130 having a flat groove bottom is illustrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As illustrated in FIG. A raised portion 134 may be provided. Further, the number of the annular grooves 130 is not limited to one, and two annular grooves 130 may be provided adjacent to each other as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9C, an annular groove 136 may be provided also on the light transmitting member 106 side.

(First embodiment)
An example in which the present invention is applied to a connector will be described. 10A and 10B show a connector as one example of the joint structure 200 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, wherein FIG. 10A is a perspective view, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view along the fitting direction X. . In the drawings, corresponding members or portions are indicated by adding “′” to the reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

  The connector 200 ′ is a receptacle connector that is fixed to a substrate in an electronic device such as a portable device or an information device, and is connected to a mating connector (not shown) inserted along the fitting direction X, and is mainly a light-absorbing connector. A housing 202 'as the conductive member 202, a plurality of contacts 203 each extending in the fitting direction X and arranged in a direction orthogonal to the fitting direction X, and covering the opening O' of the housing 202 '. And a thin plate-shaped cover 206 ′ as a light-transmitting member 206 for sealing.

  The housing 202 ′ is made of a light-absorbing and insulating thermoplastic resin, and has a peripheral wall 208 ′ having a fitting opening 212 ′ into which a mating connector is inserted, a bottom wall 210 ′, and a top wall 218. 'And have.

  A plurality of slits 220 'are formed in the top wall 218' of the housing 202 'along the fitting direction X, and the slits 220' define openings O '. A contact 203 is arranged in each slit 220 '. The front end of each contact 203 protrudes below the inner surface of the top wall 218 'for connection with the mating connector, and the rear end thereof is connected to the board of the electronic device or another wiring board from the housing 202'. It is exposed.

  The cover 206 ′ is overlapped with the housing 202 ′ so as to cover the opening O ′ of the housing 202 ′, and the peripheral wall 208 ′ is formed through an annular welding portion 204 ′ formed so as to surround all the slits 220 ′. 'Is joined to the upper end surface over the entire circumference. Thus, the infiltration route of air, dust, and water through the slit 220 'from the fitting opening 212' to the inside of the electronic device is blocked by the cover 206 'and the annular welded portion 204'. Outside the annular welded portion 204 ', four dotted welded portions 214' are formed adjacent to the corners of the cover 206 '.

  In the connector 200 ', the ratio of the area S2' of the portion on the housing 202 'side to the area S1' of the portion on the side of the cover 206 'is 12 to 35 when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the extending direction of the annular welded portion 204'. And more preferably in the range of 19 to 26.

  Such a connector 200 'can be manufactured according to the manufacturing method of the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8 using the fitting opening 212' as the suction opening 212.

(Second embodiment)
An example in which the present invention is applied to a sensor will be described. FIGS. 11A and 11B show a sensor as one example of the joint structure 300 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A, where FIG. 11A is a perspective view and FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view.

  The sensor 300 'can be any type of sensor, such as an acceleration sensor, a vibration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a distance sensor, a position sensor, and the like. The sensor 300 ′ mainly includes a housing 302 ′ as a light absorbing member 302 and a cover 306 ′ as a light transmitting member 306 that covers and seals the opening O ′ of the housing 302 ′. In addition, a detector main body (sensor chip) (not shown) is accommodated in the housing 302 ′.

  The housing 302 ′ is formed of a light-absorbing thermoplastic resin, and includes a peripheral wall 308 ′ that partitions the opening O ′ and protrudes the suction cylinder 312 ′ forward, and a bottom wall 310 ′. Have.

  The cover 306 ′ is placed on the peripheral wall 308 ′ of the housing 302 ′ so as to cover the opening O ′ of the housing 302 ′, and is provided on the entire circumference via a dotted welding portion 314 ′ and an annular welding portion 304 ′. It is joined over. A thin piece 324 'is suspended from the peripheral edge of the cover 306' along the outer surface of the peripheral wall 308 '. This thin piece 324 'is formed so as to be drawn toward the peripheral wall 308' side and closely adhered when the pressure in the opening O 'is reduced through the suction tube 312'.

  In the sensor 300 ', the annular welded portion 304' has a ratio of the area S2 'of the portion on the housing 302' side to the area S1 'of the portion on the cover 306' side as viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the extending direction thereof of 12 to 12. It is in the range of 35, more preferably in the range of 19-26.

  Such a sensor 300 'can be manufactured according to the manufacturing method of the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8 using the suction tube 312' as the suction opening 312.

  Although the base end of the suction tube 312 'remains open, the reduced pressure in the opening O' is maintained after the formation of the annular welded portion 304 'according to the sixth step of the above-described manufacturing method. The opening at the base end of the suction tube 312 'may be closed by irradiating the laser beam from the cover 306' side to the vicinity of the opening at the base end of the suction tube 312 'in this state. Thus, the sensor 300 'can be hermetically sealed while keeping the internal space at a vacuum.

  Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a joint structure suitable for uniformly and surely adhering members to be joined to each other without using a glass plate, and to join each other without using a glass plate. It is possible to provide a method for manufacturing a joined structure in which members to be bonded can be uniformly and surely brought into close contact with each other.

100, 200, 300 Joint structure 102, 202, 302 Light absorbing member 104, 204, 304 Annular welded portion 106, 206, 306 Light transmitting member 108, 208, 308 Peripheral wall 112, 212, 312 Suction opening 114, 214,314 Point-like welding portion 130 Annular groove 132 Communication groove 324 Thin piece D Pressure regulator D1 Depressurizer D2 Pressurizer D3 Controller F Boundary surface H Optical head L1 Suction line L2 Supply line O Opening PG1, PG2 Pressure Sensor S1 Area of first portion (light transmitting member side) of annular welded portion S2 Area of second portion (light absorbing member side) of annular welded portion

The present invention is superimposed on each other, about the joined structure comprising a light-absorbing member and the light transmitting member that are joined together via a weld portion formed near the boundary surface or interface.

  Conventionally, as a method of joining a plurality of members, there is a joining method by laser beam irradiation, and recently, among these, local heating is performed, so that heat damage to the product is small, and the effect of the welded portion on the appearance is reduced. Attention has been paid to a small number of laser transmission welding methods (Laser Transmission Welding). In this bonding method, a member having a property of transmitting laser light (a light transmitting member) is used as one of the bonding members, and a material having a property of absorbing the laser light (a light absorbing member) is used as the other of the bonding members. By irradiating the laser light from the light transmitting member side in a state where these are superimposed on each other and pressurized, the energy of the irradiated laser light is absorbed near the boundary surface of the light absorbing member and generates heat. In this method, both members are melted by transmitting heat to the light transmissive member, and finally, the melted portion is cooled and solidified to join the two members.

  The laser transmission welding method has several important points, and particularly important is to press the members to be bonded to each other to ensure close contact. If there is a gap between the members to be joined, the heat generated by the light absorbing member due to the laser irradiation will not be transmitted well to the opposing light transmitting member, and welding such as bulging, expansion and explosion will occur due to local temperature rise. This is because it becomes defective.

  This pressurization is generally realized by a method in which a glass plate having transparency to laser light is disposed on a light-transmitting member, and a pressing force is applied to both members via the glass plate ( See Patent Document 1 below). However, in the case of this method, the glass plate is contaminated by soot and a vaporization component of the flame retardant generated when the joining member is heated and melted, and the absorption rate of the glass plate with respect to laser light is increased, and the glass plate itself is heated and cracked. There is a problem. In addition, the dirty glass plate blocks the laser beam and prevents sufficient light from reaching the light-absorbing member, resulting in a decrease in welding strength.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 2 below proposes a method in which members to be joined are brought into close contact with each other by suction without using a glass plate. Specifically, in the method described in Patent Document 2, a groove is formed in one of the members to be joined, and the two members are brought into close contact with each other by reducing the pressure in the space of the groove. However, as a result of thermal deformation of one or both of the members to be joined when welding by laser irradiation or warping of the members to be joined at the time of molding, a gap is generated between the members to be joined. May lower the suction adhesion.

JP-A-62-142092 WO 2010/035696 pamphlet

It is therefore an object of the present invention, without the use of the glass plate is to provide a joined structure obtained by uniformly and reliably contact the members to each other to be joined together.

A joint structure of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problem, a light-absorbing member having at least one opening, a light-transmitting member disposed on the light-absorbing member so as to cover the opening , with extending so as to surround the opening portion, comprises an annular weld portion for joining the light absorbing member and the light transmitting member in close contact therewith mutually, the light transmitting member, the welding portion of the annular formation When the inside of the opening is decompressed in a state before being performed, the opening is deformed and the peripheral portion is formed in a thin plate shape closely contacting the light absorbing member.

In this case, the light transmissive member deforms when the inside of the opening is reduced to a gauge pressure of −80 kPa or more and −20 kPa or less before the annular welded portion is formed, and the peripheral portion becomes a light absorbing member. It is preferable that it is formed to a thickness that allows close contact.

Further, the joint structure of the present invention preferably includes a point-like welded portion located adjacent to the annular welded portion and joining the light-absorbing member and the light-transmitting member to each other .

A joint structure of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problem, a light-absorbing member having at least one opening, a light-transmitting member disposed on the light-absorbing member so as to cover the opening , with extending so as to surround the opening portion includes a welded portion of the annular joining the light absorbing member and the light transmitting member in close contact therewith mutually, the light transmitting member, the periphery of the light-absorbing member Formed along the portion, having a thin piece that is deformed and closely adheres to the light absorbing member when the inside of the opening is depressurized before the annular welded portion is formed. is there.

  In this case, the thin piece is deformed when the inside of the opening is reduced to a gauge pressure of −80 kPa or more and −20 kPa or less before the annular welded portion is formed, and the thin piece is formed to have a thickness that is in close contact with the light absorbing member. It is preferred that

Further, the joint structure of the present invention preferably includes a point-like welded portion located adjacent to the annular welded portion and joining the light-absorbing member and the light-transmitting member to each other .

In the joint structure of the present invention, the light transmissive member is deformed when the inside of the opening is decompressed before the annular welded portion is formed, and the peripheral portion becomes a light absorbing member. It is formed in the shape of a thin plate that adheres, or is formed along the periphery of the light-absorbing member, and deforms when the inside of the opening is depressurized before the annular welded portion is formed, and absorbs light. Because it has a thin piece that adheres to the member, in the manufacturing process of the joint structure, by reducing the pressure in the opening , it is formed along the peripheral edge of the light transmitting member or the light absorbing member formed in a thin plate shape. Deforming the thin-walled piece so that the peripheral portion of the light-transmitting member or the thin- walled piece can be in close contact with the light-absorbing member, thereby obtaining excellent mutual suction adhesion between the light-absorbing member and the light-transmitting member. Can be.

According to the but I the bonding structure of the present invention, it is possible without using a glass plate, to provide a joined structure obtained by uniformly and reliably contact the members to each other to be joined together.

1A and 1B show a joint structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is a perspective view, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2A and 2B show a joint structure according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 2A is a perspective view, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3A and 3B show a joint structure according to still another embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 3A is a perspective view, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views each showing a modified example of a thin piece in the joint structure shown in FIG. 5 shows a light absorbing member used in the production method for manufacturing a joined structure of the above embodiment, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a cross section taken along line D-D in (a) FIG. 6 shows a method for manufacturing a joined structure of the above embodiment, (a) shows the arrangement step, a cross-sectional view showing a (b) suction adhesion process. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing a pressure regulating device and a laser irradiation apparatus used in the production method for manufacturing a joined structure of the above embodiment. Figure 8 (a) ~ (d) is the manufacturing method for manufacturing a joined structure of the above embodiment, a state of irradiating a laser to the annular groove of the light-absorbing member forming the welded portion of the annular turn FIG. Figure 9 is a sectional view showing an example of applicable additional annular groove on the method for manufacturing the joined structure. Figure 10 shows the connector of an embodiment in accordance with the above embodiment, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a sectional view. 11A and 11B show a sensor according to an example according to the above embodiment, wherein FIG. 11A is a perspective view and FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Incidentally, the same members or portions in the respective drawings, denoted by reference numerals obtained by adding either "100" or "200" to the code, without redundant description.

  1A and 1B show a joint structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is a perspective view, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. As shown in this figure, the joint structure 100 of the present embodiment has a light-absorbing member 102 having an opening O and a light-absorbing member 102 that covers the light-absorbing member 102 so as to cover the opening O. A light-transmitting member 106 joined to the light-absorbing member 102 via a surrounding annular welded portion 104. It should be noted that the term “annular” means not only a circular shape like a ring, but also a continuously closed shape (endless shape). Therefore, “annular” includes not only a circle and an ellipse but also a rectangle, a polygon, and other closed shapes. The welding portion 104 is formed on the boundary surface F between the light transmitting member 106 and the light absorbing member 102, and will be described in detail later. The light absorbing member 102 is irradiated with a laser beam to first generate heat and melt the light absorbing member 102, and also melt the light transmitting member 106 by the heat, and then solidify the melted portion. be able to.

  The light absorptive member 102 is a member having a higher absorptance for laser light than the absorptivity for the same laser light of the light transmissive member 106, and is mainly made of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer, and is formed by injection molding or the like. Can be. Specifically, a material having an absorptance of 10% or more with respect to laser light selected from laser light having an oscillation wavelength center within a wavelength range of 193 to 10600 nm is preferable. As the laser, for example, a carbon dioxide laser (wavelength: about 10600 nm), a Nd: YAG laser (wavelength: about 1064 nm), a green laser (wavelength: about 532 nm) which is the second harmonic of Nd: YVO4 laser, a diode laser (wavelength: about 800 nm) , 840 nm, or 950 nm), an excimer laser (wavelength: about 193 nm), and the like. In order to adjust the absorptance of the light absorbing member 102, a black colorant such as carbon black, a pigment, a dye, or the like can be kneaded with a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer.

  As the thermoplastic resin, for example, polyamide resin, polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, polyethylene terephthalate resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, polyphenyl ether resin, polystyrene resin, high impact polystyrene resin, hydrogenated polystyrene resin, polyacrylstyrene resin, ABS Resin, AS resin, AES resin, ASA resin, SMA resin, polyalkyl methacrylate resin, polymethyl methacrylate resin, polycarbonate resin, polyester resin, polyphenylene sulfide, liquid crystal polymer and the like. Examples of the thermoplastic elastomer include a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer, an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, a polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer, a polyurethane-based thermoplastic elastomer, and a PVC-based thermoplastic elastomer. Glass fiber, mineral, or the like may be kneaded with the thermoplastic resin as a reinforcing material.

  In the illustrated example, the light absorbing member 102 mainly includes a peripheral wall 108 that defines the opening O, and a bottom wall 110 that closes a lower end of the peripheral wall 108. The cross-sectional shape of the peripheral wall 108 is substantially rectangular, but is not limited thereto, and may be any shape such as a circle, an ellipse, a trapezoid, a polygon, and a gourd. The peripheral wall 108 is formed with a suction opening 112 that is connected to the opening O and is suitable for reducing the pressure inside the opening O as described later. The suction opening 112 may be formed in the bottom wall 110. Alternatively, the lower end of the peripheral wall 109 may be opened without providing the bottom wall 110, and the lower end opening may be used as the suction opening 112.

  The light transmissive member 106 is a member having a lower absorptivity for the laser light than the absorptivity of the light absorptive member 102 for the laser light, and is mainly made of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer, and can be formed by injection molding or the like. it can. Specifically, a laser beam having a lower absorptance than that of the light-absorbing member 102 with respect to a laser beam selected from laser beams having an oscillation wavelength center within a wavelength range of 193 to 10600 nm is preferable.

  As the thermoplastic resin constituting the light transmitting member 106, for example, polyamide resin, polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, polyethylene terephthalate resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, polyphenyl ether resin, polystyrene resin, high impact polystyrene resin, hydrogenated polystyrene Resin, polyacryl styrene resin, ABS resin, AS resin, AES resin, ASA resin, SMA resin, polyalkyl methacrylate resin, polymethyl methacrylate resin, polycarbonate resin, polyester resin, polyphenylene sulfide, liquid crystal polymer and the like. Examples of the thermoplastic elastomer include a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer, an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, a polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer, a polyurethane-based thermoplastic elastomer, and a PVC-based thermoplastic elastomer. The thermoplastic resin may be kneaded with glass fiber, mineral, or the like as a reinforcing material. The thermoplastic resin or the thermoplastic elastomer may be kneaded with, for example, a white pigment or a chromatic colorant such as yellow, green, or red as long as an absorptivity lower than the absorptivity of the light absorbing member can be obtained.

  The light transmissive member 106 is deformed when the inside of the opening O is depressurized before the annular welded portion 104 is formed, and its peripheral edge is formed by the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102. Is formed in a thin plate shape that is in close contact with the upper end surface of the. Accordingly, even when a gap is formed between the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 when the light transmitting member 106 is superimposed on the light absorbing member 102, When the pressure in the opening O is reduced through the suction opening 112, the light transmitting member 106 can be brought into close contact with the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102, so that vacuum leakage is prevented and the light transmitting member 106 and light Excellent suction adhesion between the absorbent members 102 can be obtained.

  In order to ensure this, the light transmissive member 106 is deformed when the inside of the opening O is reduced to a gauge pressure of −80 kPa or more and −20 kPa or less before the annular welded portion 104 is formed. In addition, it is preferable that it is formed to have a thickness that exhibits easy deformability in close contact with the light absorbing member 102. Specifically, in order to secure adhesion by sufficient deformation, the thickness of the light transmitting member 106 is preferably set to 0.005 mm to 0.2 mm, and 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm in consideration of moldability. Is more preferable.

  The light transmissive member 106 is deformed when the inside of the opening O is reduced to a gauge pressure of −80 kPa or more and −20 kPa or less before the annular welded portion 104 is formed. It is preferable to select or adjust a material having a tensile elastic modulus (Young's modulus) in the range of 0.01 to 18 GPa so as to make close contact. When the tensile elastic modulus (Young's modulus) of the light transmitting member 106 is set to be larger than 18 GPa, it is necessary to form the light transmitting member 106 extremely thin so as to be easily deformed when the inside of the opening O is depressurized. For example, when the light transmitting member 106 is formed by injection molding, the resin does not flow into a thin portion, which causes a molding failure. On the other hand, if the tensile elastic modulus (Young's modulus) of the light transmitting member 106 is less than 0.01 GPa, the rigidity of the material itself becomes low, and it becomes difficult to maintain its own shape, and the target shape is placed at a target position. Positioning becomes difficult.

  The material of the light-transmitting member 106 has a tensile modulus of elasticity (Young's modulus) within the range of 6 to 10 GPa in order to balance the easy-deformability, moldability, and positioning properties of the light-transmitting member 106 at a higher level. It is more preferable to select or adjust. This tensile elastic modulus (Young's modulus) conforms to the provisions of JIS K7161, and a test specimen described in JIS K7162 is attached to a tensile tester, and a stress-strain curve is drawn from stress and strain (deformation amount), and the slope is plotted. Can be obtained from In this case, if the stress-strain curve is not linear and it is difficult to calculate the slope, use a secant coefficient (slope of the straight line connecting the point on the stress-strain curve and the origin) as an alternative coefficient of Young's modulus. Can be.

  In addition, in the joint structure 100 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, a point-shaped joint between the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 is provided at a position adjacent to the annular welded portion 104. Is provided. Thereby, the bonding strength between the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 is further increased.

  As in the case of the annular welded portion 104, the dotted welded portion 114 can be formed by irradiating laser light from the light transmissive member 106 side to the light absorbing member 102. When the light-transmitting member 106 is substantially rectangular, it is preferable that the dot-shaped welded portion 114 is formed adjacent to the corner portion. The warp due to thermal deformation of the light transmissive member 106 during the formation of the surface is effectively suppressed, and when the pressure in the opening O is reduced, the thin plate-shaped light transmissive member 106 is easily deformed in combination with the adhesion effect. Thus, even better suction adhesion between the light transmitting member 106 and the light absorbing member 102 can be obtained.

  Further, in the joint structure 100 of the present embodiment, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 1B, the light transmitting member 106 of the welded portion 104 is viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the extending direction of the annular welded portion 104. A portion on the light-absorbing member 102 side (the portion above the boundary surface F in the figure) with respect to the area S1 of the portion on the side (the portion above the boundary surface F in the drawing, also referred to as the “first portion” hereinafter). The ratio of the area S2 of the lower part (hereinafter also referred to as “second part”) is in the range of 12 to 35. When the ratio is less than 12, peeling (interfacial peeling) or welding starting from the boundary of the annular welded portion 104 when a force for peeling the light transmissive member 106 from the light absorbing member 102 is applied. There is a possibility that peeling may occur when at least a part of the portion of the portion 104 on the light absorbing member 102 side is integrated with the light transmitting member 106. Also, this type of delamination is difficult to inspect nondestructively in industrial production. If the ratio of the area S2 to the area S1 is 12 or more, peeling is unlikely to occur in the welded portion 104, and when a force for peeling the light transmissive member 106 from the light absorbing member 102 is applied, the light transmissive member 106 Alternatively, since the light absorbing member 102 itself breaks down, the member 102, 106 can be stably produced by designing (setting) the welding strength by controlling the strength of the members 102, 106. On the other hand, if the above ratio exceeds 35, it is necessary to increase the power or lengthen the irradiation time in order to reach the laser beam to the depth of the light absorbing member 102, so that the thermal effect on the light transmitting member 106 ( There is a possibility that bulges, bubbles, melting on the surface, carbonization or discoloration due to burning) or thermal effects on the light absorbing member 102 (carbonization due to burning, generation of bubbles) may become apparent. In order to avoid these heat effects and to suppress and prevent peeling at the welded portion 104 with higher dimensions, the ratio of the area S2 to the area S1 is more preferably in the range of 19 to 26.

  As described above, by setting the ratio of the area S2 of the light absorbing member side portion to the area S1 of the light transmitting member side portion of the welding portion 104 within the above range, the annular welding portion 104 can be secured while maintaining the bonding strength. Since the thermal effect on the light transmitting member 106 due to the formation of the light transmitting member 106 can be reduced and the heat distortion of the light transmitting member 106 can be suppressed, the thin plate-shaped light transmitting member 106 can easily be formed when the pressure in the opening O is reduced. In addition to the adhesion effect due to the deformation, it is possible to obtain more excellent suction adhesion between the light transmitting member 106 and the light absorbing member 102.

  Note that the welded portion 104 having the areas S1 and S2 under the above ratio can be formed by a method for manufacturing a joint structure described later with reference to FIG. In calculating the areas S1 and S2, the range (boundary) of the welded portion 104 is cut in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the welded portion 104 to form a test piece, and the cross section of the test piece is optically obtained. The determination can be made by observing with a microscope or an electron microscope, or by confirming a tomographic image using X-ray CT.

When the light-transmitting member 106 is manufactured by injection molding, the light-transmitting member 106 projects downward from the mold due to the position of the gate, the flow of the molten resin, uneven cooling after being taken out of the mold, and the like. Or a warp that is convex toward the upper surface side may occur. The warpage convex to the lower surface side is caused between the peripheral edge of the light transmitting member 106 and the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102 when the light transmitting member 106 is superimposed on the light absorbing member 102. It is not preferable because a gap is generated. Therefore, in this embodiment, the lower surface of the light transmitting member 106 (the surface of the light-absorbing member 102 side), a concave portion 116 obtained by subtracting the thickness, for over 50% of the inner area of the annular welds 104 Thus, the direction of the warp is guided in a direction protruding toward the upper surface side. When the area where the concave portion 116 is formed is less than 50% of the inner area of the annular welded portion 104, the shrinkage of the resin material which causes the warpage is sufficient to induce the warpage of the entire light transmitting member 106. There is a possibility that power cannot be obtained. Further, in order to prevent the amount of warpage from becoming excessive, the depth of the concave portion 116 is preferably set to 50% or less of the plate thickness. If the depth of the concave portion 116 exceeds 50% of the plate thickness, the rigidity of the light-transmitting member 106 is reduced due to the contraction of the resin material, which is a cause of warpage, and twisting occurs. A gap is formed between the light transmitting member 106 and the light absorbing member 102, resulting in insufficient adhesion, which may cause misalignment or welding failure (excessive temperature rise or unmelting due to non-transmission of heat). is there.

  With reference to FIG. 2, a description will be given of a joint structure 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The joint structure 200 of this embodiment differs from the joint structure 100 of the previous embodiment in that a plurality of openings O are formed in the light absorbing member 202.

  Specifically, the light absorbing member 202 has a top wall 218 connected to the upper end of the peripheral wall 208, and a plurality of slits 220 extending in the same direction are formed in the top wall 218 so that the opening O Is partitioned. The top wall 218 restricts the bending deformation of the light transmitting member 206 when an impact or a load is applied to the upper surface of the light transmitting member 206 from the outside, so that the light transmitting member 206 and the welded portions 204 and 214 are damaged. Can be prevented. Further, since the top wall 218 acts like a beam, the peripheral wall 208 of the light absorbing member 202 can be reinforced.

  The concave portion 216 of the light transmitting member 206 has an effect of controlling the direction and amount of warpage of the light transmitting member 206 as described above. In addition, the concave portion 216 of the light transmitting member 206 and the top wall 218 have the same effect. By maintaining a gap therebetween, it is possible to prevent the light transmissive member 206 from contacting the top wall 218 when the opening O is depressurized, thereby preventing the negative pressure receiving area from decreasing. When the negative pressure receiving area decreases, the light transmitting member 206 cannot be sufficiently deformed by the vacuum pressure, and there is a possibility that the suction adhesion between the light transmitting member 206 and the light absorbing member 202 may be impaired. Also from the viewpoint of preventing this, it is preferable that the formation area of the concave portion 216 formed in the light transmitting member 206 be 50% or more of the inner area of the annular welded portion 104.

  Also in the joint structure 200 of the present embodiment, similarly to the joint structure 100 of the previous embodiment, the annular welded portion 204 has an area of a portion on the light transmitting member 206 side when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the extending direction. The ratio of the area S2 of the portion on the light absorbing member 202 side to S1 is in the range of 12 to 35, and more preferably in the range of 19 to 26.

  Referring to FIG. 3, a description will be given of a joint structure 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the joint structure 300 of this embodiment, the inside of the opening O is decompressed at a position outside the annular welded portion 304 of the light transmitting member 300 before the annular welded portion 304 is formed. This is different from the joint structures 100 and 200 of the previous embodiment in that a thin piece 324 is provided which is deformed in the case where the thin portion 324 is brought into close contact with the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 308 of the light absorbing member 302. Accordingly, when the light transmitting member 306 is superimposed on the light absorbing member 302, even when a gap is formed between the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 308 of the light absorbing member 302 and the light transmitting member 306, When the inside of the opening O is depressurized through the suction opening 312, the thin piece 324 of the light transmitting member 306 can be drawn to and adhered to the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 308 of the light absorbing member 302, so that vacuum breakage due to air leakage can be prevented. Thus, excellent suction adhesion can be obtained between the light transmitting member 306 and the light absorbing member 302.

  In order to ensure this, the thin piece 324 deforms when the inside of the opening O is reduced to a gauge pressure of −80 kPa or more and −20 kPa or less before the annular welded portion 304 is formed, It is preferable that it is formed to a thickness that exhibits easy deformability in close contact with the light absorbing member 302. Specifically, the thickness of the thin piece is preferably set to 0.005 mm to 0.2 mm in order to secure adhesion due to sufficient deformation, and 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm in consideration of formability. Is more preferred.

  In the example shown in FIG. 3, the thin piece 324 is formed horizontally so as to extend along the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 308 of the light absorbing member 302 from the lower end of the peripheral portion of the light transmitting member 306, but is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 4A, the light-transmissive member 306 may hang down from the lower end of the peripheral edge along the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 308, or as shown in FIG. An annular groove 326 may be formed on the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 308, and the thin piece 324 may be hung down from the lower surface of the light transmitting member 306 and inserted into the annular groove 326.

  Also in the joint structure 300 of the present embodiment, like the joint structures 100 and 200 of the previous embodiment, the annular welded portion 304 has a portion on the light transmitting member 306 side when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the extending direction. The ratio of the area S2 of the portion on the light absorbing member 302 side to the area S1 is within the range of 12 to 35, and more preferably within the range of 19 to 26.

Next, a manufacturing method for manufacturing the joint structure of the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, a method for manufacturing the joint structure 100 shown in FIG. 1 will be described as an example, but this manufacturing method is also applied to a case where the joint structures 200 and 300 shown in FIGS. can do.

  First, the first step is a member preparing step, in which the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 are prepared. The material and the basic structure of the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 are as described with reference to FIG. 1 for the joint structure 100, and thus the overlapping description will be omitted.

  5A and 5B show the light absorbing member 102 before being bonded to the light transmitting member 106, wherein FIG. 5A is a plan view, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view along line DD in FIG. . As shown in this figure, an annular groove 130 is formed in advance on the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102 (the surface that comes into contact with the light transmitting member 106), where the annular welded portion 104 is to be formed. Keep it. It is preferable that the width of the annular groove 130 be larger than the diameter of the laser beam applied thereto, and for example, it is preferable that the width be 0.1 mm to 3 mm. When the width of the annular groove 130 is less than 0.1 mm, the width of the annular welded portion 104 formed there cannot be sufficiently secured, and the welding strength is reduced. There is a possibility that the dust may penetrate and the hermetic performance or the like cannot be maintained. On the other hand, when the width of the annular groove 130 exceeds 3 mm, portions other than the annular welded portion 104 are deformed under the influence of heat due to heat at the time of welding, or due to heat shrinkage when the annular welded portion 104 is solidified. There is a possibility that excessive strain remains in the part and the part is deformed.

  Further, it is preferable that the depth of the annular groove 130 (the distance from the boundary surface F to the groove bottom) is L / 20 (mm) or more and L (mm) or less, where L is the width of the annular groove 130 (mm). In this way, as described later with reference to FIG. 8, the molten pool generated at the bottom of the annular groove 130 by irradiating the annular groove 130 with the laser beam can be sufficiently expanded, and the heat can be sufficiently and sufficiently supplied. The light can be transmitted to the light transmissive member 106, and a good welded portion 104 can be formed.

  Further, it is preferable that the depth of the annular groove 130 is not less than L / 10 (mm) and not more than L / 3 (mm) in terms of securing the strength and the airtightness of the welded portion 104. For example, the annular groove 130 can have a groove width L of 0.3 mm and a groove depth of 0.05 (= L / 6) mm. If the depth of the welded portion 130 is less than L / 20 (mm) and is too shallow, the expanded molten pool comes into contact with the light transmitting member 106 immediately after the laser beam is irradiated to the groove bottom of the annular groove 130 and heat is generated. Is diffused, and the molten pool cannot be sufficiently expanded in the lateral direction, which may result in poor welding (a part of the annular groove 130 remains). If the depth of the welded portion 130 exceeds L (mm) and is too deep, the molten pool generated at the groove bottom of the annular groove 130 expands, but cannot reach the light transmitting member 106, and carbonization due to burning on the spot may occur. Discoloration may occur, resulting in poor welding. Although the cross-sectional shape of the annular groove 130 is rectangular in the illustrated example, it may be semicircular or semi-elliptical. At least one (four in the illustrated example, four corresponding to each side) communication groove 132 that connects the annular groove 130 and the inside of the opening O is formed in advance on the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108.

The second step is an arrangement step of disposing a light-transmitting member 106 on the light-absorbing member 102 so as to cover the opening O, as shown in FIG.

  The third step is a suction and adhesion step in which the light-absorbing member 102 and the light-transmitting member 106 that are superimposed on each other are suction-adhered, and the suction adhesion is performed by reducing the pressure in the opening O. As shown in the left view of FIG. 6B after the light transmitting member 106 is overlaid on the light absorbing member 102, light transmitting between the light transmitting member 106 and the light absorbing member 102. In some cases, a gap may be formed due to warpage during molding of the transparent member 106 or thermal deformation during welding by laser light, which will be described later. However, since the light-transmitting member 106 is formed in a thin plate shape, FIG. As shown in the right diagram of FIG. 7), by reducing the pressure in the opening O, the peripheral portion of the light transmitting member 106 can be deformed so as to be drawn toward the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 and can be brought into close contact with the upper end surface.

  Specifically, the pressure in the opening O can be reduced through the suction opening 112 formed in the light absorbing member 102 using an external pressure adjusting device D as shown in FIG.

  The pressure adjusting device D mainly includes a pressure reducing device D1, a pressurizing device D2, a controller D3, and a double pipe P connected to the suction opening 112.

  The pressure reducing device D1 has a vacuum pump for sucking and discharging air in the opening O and an electric leak valve (not shown). A pressure sensor PG1 is provided on the suction line L1 of the decompression device D1, so that the pressure in the opening O at the time of decompression can be detected.

  The pressurizing device D2 has a pressurizing tank for supplying a purge gas composed of air or an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon, and a supply valve (not shown). The supply line L2 of the pressurizing device D2 is provided with a pressure sensor PG2, which can detect the pressure in the opening O during pressurization.

  The controller D3 is configured by a PLC (programmable logic controller), a personal computer, or the like, and adjusts the opening of the supply valve and the leak valve. Further, the pressure sensors PG1 and PG2 can also be connected to the controller D3 to control the supply valve and the leak valve based on the detection signals of the pressure sensors PG1 and PG2.

  The double pipe P includes a suction pipe p1 arranged outside and a supply pipe p2 arranged inside. The suction pipe p1 communicates the inside of the opening O with the decompression device D1, and sucks the air in the opening O. The supply pipe p2 communicates the inside of the opening O with the pressurizing device D2, and supplies the purge gas into the opening O. Although illustration is omitted, the outer pipe of the double pipe P can be used as a supply pipe, and the inner pipe can be used as a suction pipe. This is preferable in that the gas generated sometimes can be efficiently removed.

  In the fourth step, as shown in FIG. 7, in a state where the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 are in close contact with each other by suction, the laser beam LB is applied from the light transmitting member 106 side to the peripheral wall of the light absorbing member 102. Irradiation is performed toward the upper end surface of the light-absorbing member 108 to form an annular welded portion 104 and a dot-like welded portion 114 (see FIG. 1) at or near the boundary surface F between the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106. This is a joining step of joining the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 to each other.

  In this joining step, the pressure-reduced state in the opening O is maintained, but it is preferable to supply a purge gas into the opening O via the supply pipe p2 at least while the annular welded portion 104 is formed. In this way, a flow of air can be generated in the opening O, and soot and the vaporized component v of the flame retardant generated at the time of welding can be efficiently discharged and removed to the outside through the suction pipe p1.

  Then, in forming the welded portions 104 and 114, first, a dot-shaped welded portion 114 is formed, and then the annular welded portion 104 is formed. This is because the light-transmitting member 106 is temporarily joined to the light-absorbing member 102 by a point-like welded portion 114 having a relatively small heat load on the light-transmitting member 106, and thereafter, an annular shape having a relatively large heat load is applied. This is for suppressing thermal deformation of the light transmissive member 106 when the welded portion 104 is formed and preventing vacuum breakage due to air leakage caused by the thermal deformation. As the welding of the annular welding portion 104 progresses, the pressure receiving area of the vacuum decreases, so that in order to compensate for the negative pressure, it is preferable to provide three or more point welding portions 114 that can form a plane. In this example, the dot-shaped welded portions 114 are formed at four locations adjacent to the corners of the light transmitting member 106.

  The point-like welded portion 114 is formed by irradiating the laser beam LB to the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102 with the optical head H (FIG. 7) stopped above the light transmitting member 106. Is done. The diameter of the spot-shaped welded portion 114 is preferably about 0.3 to 0.7 mm, and more preferably about 0.5 mm. The annular welded portion 104 is formed by irradiating the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 with the laser beam LB while moving the optical head H along the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102 above the light transmitting member 106. The width of the annular welded portion 104 is preferably about 0.3 to 0.7 mm, and more preferably about 0.5 mm. As a transmitter of the laser beam LB, for example, a fiber laser (wavelength: 1070 nm), a YAG laser (wavelength: 1064 nm), a semiconductor laser (wavelength: 808 nm, 840 nm or 940 nm), a CO2 laser (wavelength: 10600 nm), or the like is used. Can be used.

  Here, with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8D, by irradiating the annular groove 130 formed in advance on the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102 with the laser light LB, the first groove illustrated in FIG. A process for forming the annular welded portion 104 in which the ratio of the area S2 of the second portion to the area S1 of the portion is 12 to 35 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, when the light-absorbing member 102 and the light-transmitting member 106 are brought into close contact with each other by suction, laser light is applied to the groove bottom of the annular groove 130 from the light-transmitting member 106 side. As shown in FIG. 8B, the groove bottom of the annular groove 130 generates heat and melts, and foaming starts in the molten pool. When the laser beam is subsequently irradiated, foaming grows and a molten pool grows as shown in FIG. At this time, due to the presence of the annular groove 130, the molten pool of the light absorbing member 102 does not immediately contact the light transmitting member 106, and the molten pool can be grown to a sufficient width and depth. FIG. 8D shows a state in which the irradiation of the laser beam is stopped after the molten pool reaches the light transmitting member 106, and the formation of the annular welded portion 104 is completed.

Further, in the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 5, since the communication groove 132 that connects the annular groove 130 and the opening O is provided on the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102, the formation of the annular welded portion 104 is performed. The soot and the vaporized component v of the flame retardant generated in the process are sucked and discharged into the opening O through the annular groove 130 and the communication groove 132, and finally discharged to the outside by the suction pipe p1.

  The fifth step is to maintain the reduced pressure in the opening O after forming the annular welded portion 104, or to pressurize the inside of the opening O, or alternately perform the reduced pressure and the increased pressure, and perform the unit time at that time. This is an airtightness inspection step of performing an airtightness test of the annular welded portion 104 by measuring a change in the contact pressure. The pressure in the opening O is measured by the pressure sensors PG1 and PG2 shown in FIG. 7, and the change in pressure per unit time is calculated by the control unit D3, and can be externally output or displayed as necessary. it can. Alternatively, a flow rate sensor (not shown) may be provided in the suction line L1 or the supply line L2, and the airtightness test of the annular welded portion 104 may be performed by measuring a change in flow rate per unit time.

  In a sixth step (not shown), after the formation of the annular welded portion 104, the laser beam LB is irradiated from the light transmitting member 106 side to the inside or around the suction opening 112 while maintaining the reduced pressure in the opening O. This is a suction opening closing step of closing the suction opening 112. Thus, the inside of the opening O can be sealed while the vacuum in the opening O is maintained. Of course, the suction opening 112 may be left open.

According to the above-described method for manufacturing a joint structure, the light absorbing member 102 is provided with the opening O, and the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 are brought into close contact with each other by reducing the pressure in the opening O. With such a configuration, a conventional glass plate for press-fitting the two members 102 and 106 can be eliminated, and the various problems caused by the glass plate as described above can be solved.

  In addition, since the light transmitting member 106 is configured to be easily deformable as the pressure of the opening O is reduced, a gap may be generated between the light transmitting member 106 and the light absorbing member 102 when the light transmitting member 106 is superimposed on the light absorbing member 102. However, by reducing the pressure in the opening O, the gap can be closed by the light transmitting member 106, and excellent suction adhesion can be obtained.

  Further, prior to the formation of the annular welded portion 104, the point-like welded portion 114 is formed and temporarily joined, so that the light transmitting member 106 is formed during the formation of the annular welded portion 104. Thermal deformation can be suppressed, and a decrease in suction adhesion due to the thermal deformation can be prevented.

  Further, an annular groove 130 is formed on the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102, and the annular groove 130 is irradiated with the laser beam LB to form the annular welded portion 104. In addition to being able to obtain high bonding strength by forming the welded portion 104 having a small depth and depth, the thermal effect on the light transmissive member 106 is reduced, and thermal deformation of the light transmissive member 106 during the welding process is suppressed. It is possible to prevent a decrease in suction adhesion due to the thermal deformation.

  Further, since the communication groove 132 communicating the annular groove 130 and the opening O is provided on the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 108 of the light absorbing member 102, soot and flame retardant generated in the process of forming the annular welded portion 104 are removed. The vaporized component v can be sucked into the opening O via the annular groove 130 and the communication groove 132, and finally discharged to the outside via the suction pipe p1.

  Further, by employing a configuration in which the pressure in the opening O is reduced while supplying the purge gas into the opening O, a flow of air is generated in the opening O, and the vaporized component v of soot and a flame retardant is efficiently removed. Can be discharged and removed.

  Further, after the annular welded portion 104 is formed, the pressure in the opening O is continuously maintained, or the pressure in the opening O is increased, or the pressure is reduced and increased alternately. When the airtightness test of the annular welded portion 104 is performed by measuring the change in the flow rate, the manufacturing equipment can be simplified and the manufacturing time can be greatly reduced.

  Further, the pressure in the opening O is constantly detected by the pressure sensor PG1, and based on the change in the pressure, the light absorbing member 102 and the light transmitting member 106 are brought into close contact, the formation of the annular welded portion 104 is started, and When the completion of the formation of the welded portion 104 is determined, it is possible to reduce the processing time during normal production and to quickly respond to the occurrence of an abnormality.

As described above, the present invention has been described based on the illustrated examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes, additions, and the like can be made within the scope of the claims. For example, Oite the connection structure of the embodiment described above, although the groove bottom is shown a flat annular groove 130 is not limited to this, as shown in FIG. 9 (a), raised the groove bottom of the annular groove A portion 134 may be provided. Further, the number of the annular grooves 130 is not limited to one, and two annular grooves 130 may be provided adjacent to each other as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9C, an annular groove 136 may be provided also on the light transmitting member 106 side.

(First embodiment)
An example in which the present invention is applied to a connector will be described. 10A and 10B show a connector as one example of the joint structure 200 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, wherein FIG. 10A is a perspective view, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view along the fitting direction X. . In the drawings, corresponding members or portions are indicated by adding “′” to the reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

  The connector 200 ′ is a receptacle connector that is fixed to a substrate in an electronic device such as a portable device or an information device, and is connected to a mating connector (not shown) inserted along the fitting direction X, and is mainly a light-absorbing connector. A housing 202 'as the conductive member 202, a plurality of contacts 203 each extending in the fitting direction X and arranged in a direction orthogonal to the fitting direction X, and covering the opening O' of the housing 202 '. And a thin plate-shaped cover 206 ′ as a light-transmitting member 206 for sealing.

  The housing 202 ′ is made of a light-absorbing and insulating thermoplastic resin, and has a peripheral wall 208 ′ having a fitting opening 212 ′ into which a mating connector is inserted, a bottom wall 210 ′, and a top wall 218. 'And have.

  A plurality of slits 220 'are formed in the top wall 218' of the housing 202 'along the fitting direction X, and the slits 220' define openings O '. A contact 203 is arranged in each slit 220 '. The front end of each contact 203 protrudes below the inner surface of the top wall 218 'for connection with the mating connector, and the rear end thereof is connected to the board of the electronic device or another wiring board from the housing 202'. It is exposed.

  The cover 206 ′ is overlapped with the housing 202 ′ so as to cover the opening O ′ of the housing 202 ′, and the peripheral wall 208 ′ is formed through an annular welding portion 204 ′ formed so as to surround all the slits 220 ′. 'Is joined to the upper end surface over the entire circumference. Thus, the infiltration route of air, dust, and water through the slit 220 'from the fitting opening 212' to the inside of the electronic device is blocked by the cover 206 'and the annular welded portion 204'. Outside the annular welded portion 204 ', four dotted welded portions 214' are formed adjacent to the corners of the cover 206 '.

  In the connector 200 ', the ratio of the area S2' of the portion on the housing 202 'side to the area S1' of the portion on the side of the cover 206 'is 12 to 35 when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the extending direction of the annular welded portion 204'. And more preferably in the range of 19 to 26.

  Such a connector 200 'can be manufactured according to the manufacturing method described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8 using the fitting opening 212' as the suction opening 212.

(Second embodiment)
An example in which the present invention is applied to a sensor will be described. FIGS. 11A and 11B show a sensor as one example of the joint structure 300 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A, where FIG. 11A is a perspective view and FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view.

  The sensor 300 'can be any type of sensor, such as an acceleration sensor, a vibration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a distance sensor, a position sensor, and the like. The sensor 300 ′ mainly includes a housing 302 ′ as a light absorbing member 302 and a cover 306 ′ as a light transmitting member 306 that covers and seals the opening O ′ of the housing 302 ′. In addition, a detector main body (sensor chip) (not shown) is accommodated in the housing 302 ′.

  The housing 302 ′ is formed of a light-absorbing thermoplastic resin, and includes a peripheral wall 308 ′ that partitions the opening O ′ and protrudes the suction cylinder 312 ′ forward, and a bottom wall 310 ′. Have.

  The cover 306 ′ is placed on the peripheral wall 308 ′ of the housing 302 ′ so as to cover the opening O ′ of the housing 302 ′, and is provided on the entire circumference via a dotted welding portion 314 ′ and an annular welding portion 304 ′. It is joined over. A thin piece 324 'is suspended from the peripheral edge of the cover 306' along the outer surface of the peripheral wall 308 '. This thin piece 324 'is formed so as to be drawn toward the peripheral wall 308' side and closely adhered when the pressure in the opening O 'is reduced through the suction tube 312'.

  In the sensor 300 ', the annular welded portion 304' has a ratio of the area S2 'of the portion on the housing 302' side to the area S1 'of the portion on the cover 306' side as viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the extending direction thereof of 12 to 12. It is in the range of 35, more preferably in the range of 19-26.

  Such a sensor 300 'can be manufactured according to the manufacturing method described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8 using the suction tube 312' as the suction opening 312.

  Although the base end of the suction tube 312 'remains open, the reduced pressure in the opening O' is maintained after the formation of the annular welded portion 304 'according to the sixth step of the above-described manufacturing method. The opening at the base end of the suction tube 312 'may be closed by irradiating the laser beam from the cover 306' side to the vicinity of the opening at the base end of the suction tube 312 'in this state. Thus, the sensor 300 'can be hermetically sealed while keeping the internal space at a vacuum.

Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a joint structure in which members to be joined to each other are uniformly and surely adhered to each other without using a glass plate.

100, 200, 300 Joint structure 102, 202, 302 Light absorbing member 104, 204, 304 Annular welded portion 106, 206, 306 Light transmitting member 108, 208, 308 Peripheral wall 112, 212, 312 Suction opening 114, 214,314 Point-like welding portion 130 Annular groove 132 Communication groove 324 Thin piece D Pressure regulator D1 Depressurizer D2 Pressurizer D3 Controller F Boundary surface H Optical head L1 Suction line L2 Supply line O Opening PG1, PG2 Pressure Sensor S1 Area of first portion (light transmitting member side) of annular welded portion S2 Area of second portion (light absorbing member side) of annular welded portion

Claims (16)

A light absorbing member having at least one opening;
A light-transmitting member disposed on the light-absorbing member so as to cover the opening,
An annular welded portion extending to surround the opening and joining the light absorbing member and the light transmitting member is formed,
The light transmissive member is formed in a thin plate shape that is deformed when the inside of the opening is depressurized before the annular welded portion is formed, and is in close contact with the light absorbing member. A joint structure characterized by the above-mentioned.   The light-transmissive member is deformed when the inside of the opening is reduced to a pressure of −80 kPa or more and −20 kPa or less with a gauge pressure before the annular welded portion is formed, and closely adheres to the light-absorbent member. The joining structure according to claim 1, wherein the joining structure is formed to have a thickness. A light absorbing member having at least one opening;
A light-transmitting member disposed on the light-absorbing member so as to cover the opening,
An annular welded portion surrounding the opening and joining the light absorbing member and the light transmitting member is formed,
The light transmissive member is deformed when the inside of the opening is decompressed in a state before the annular welded portion is formed outside the annular welded portion, and the light transmissive member is deformed to the light absorbing member. A bonded structure having a thin piece that is in close contact.   The thin piece is deformed when the inside of the opening is reduced to a gauge pressure of −80 kPa or more and −20 kPa or less in a state before the annular welded portion is formed, and has a thickness that closely adheres to the light absorbing member. The joint structure according to claim 3, wherein the joint structure is formed.   The joint structure according to claim 3, wherein the thin piece is formed along a peripheral portion of the light absorbing member.   6. A spot-like welded portion which is located adjacent to the annular welded portion and joins the light absorbing member and the light transmitting member is provided. 3. The joint structure according to 1. A light transmitting member is superimposed on the light absorbing member having at least one opening so as to cover the opening, and a laser beam is irradiated from the light transmitting member side so as to surround the opening. A method of manufacturing a joining structure for joining the light absorbing member and the light transmitting member by forming a welded portion of
The light transmissive member is formed in a thin plate shape that is deformed when the inside of the opening is depressurized before the annular welded portion is formed, and is in close contact with the light absorbing member. ,
In forming the annular welded portion, the laser light is irradiated from the light transmitting member side in a state in which the light transmitting member is deformed by reducing the pressure in the opening and is brought into close contact with the light absorbing member. A method of manufacturing a joint structure, which is characterized by the following.   The light transmissive member is deformed when the inside of the opening is reduced to a gauge pressure of −80 kPa or more and −20 kPa or less before the annular welded portion is formed, and the light transmissive member adheres to the light absorbing member. The method for manufacturing a joined structure according to claim 7, wherein the joining structure is formed to have a thickness. A light transmitting member is superimposed on the light absorbing member having at least one opening so as to cover the opening, and a laser beam is irradiated from the light transmitting member side so as to surround the opening. A method of manufacturing a joining structure for joining the light absorbing member and the light transmitting member by forming a welded portion of
The light transmissive member, outside the annular welded portion, deforms when the inside of the opening is depressurized in a state before the annular welded portion is formed, and is deformed by the light absorbing member. Form a thin piece that adheres,
In forming the annular welded portion, a laser beam is irradiated from the light transmitting member side in a state in which the thin piece is deformed by reducing the pressure in the opening portion and is brought into close contact with the light absorbing member. A method for manufacturing a joined structure.   The thin piece is deformed when the inside of the opening is reduced to a gauge pressure of −80 kPa or more and −20 kPa or less in a state before the annular welded portion is formed, and has a thickness that is closely adhered to the light absorbing member. The method for manufacturing a joined structure according to claim 9, wherein the joint structure is formed.   The method according to claim 9, wherein the thin piece is formed along a peripheral edge of the light absorbing member.   After the light transmitting member is superimposed on the light absorbing member and before forming the annular welded portion, the light absorbing member is irradiated with laser light from the light transmitting member side, and The method for manufacturing a joined structure according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein a point-like welded portion for joining the light-transmissive member is formed.   The joint structure according to claim 7, wherein a suction opening connected to the opening and communicating with an external pressure reducing device is formed in the light absorbing member. Production method.   14. The suction opening according to claim 13, wherein the suction opening is melted and closed by irradiating a laser beam from the light transmitting member side while maintaining the reduced pressure in the opening after forming the annular welded portion. A method for manufacturing a joint structure.   The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the pressure in the opening is reduced while supplying a purge gas into the opening. The method according to claim 15, wherein the pressure reduction in the opening and the supply of the purge gas into the opening are performed through the suction opening using a double pipe.

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