JP7625955B2 - Thermal spraying method and thermal sprayed unit - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a thermal spraying method and a thermal sprayed unit.

When spraying a thermal spray material to fix a member to be sprayed on a fixed object, a technique is known that uses a masking jig with a through-hole for spraying the thermal spray material (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The masking jig is placed on the member to be sprayed.

JP 2015-112534 A

When spraying using a masking jig, there is a problem in that the spray material adheres to and accumulates on the masking jig. If the spray material accumulates on the masking jig, for example, dimensional errors may occur at the penetration points of the masking jig. In addition, the masking jig may need to be cleaned or replaced.

The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a thermal spraying method for thermally spraying a member to be thermally sprayed. The thermal spraying method includes the steps of: preparing a mask member having a mask through hole, a member to be thermally sprayed, and a masking jig having a jig through hole; arranging the mask member on a front surface of the masking jig so that the mask through hole and the jig through hole overlap; arranging the member to be thermally sprayed on a rear surface of the masking jig; and spraying a thermal spray material from the mask through hole toward the member to be thermally sprayed, the mask member and the member to be thermally sprayed being connected by a connecting member, and in the step of arranging the member to be thermally sprayed on the rear surface of the masking jig, the connecting member is bent to arrange the member to be thermally sprayed on the rear surface of the masking jig. The present disclosure can also be realized in the following aspects.

(1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a thermal spraying method for thermally spraying a member to be thermally sprayed, the thermal spraying method including the steps of: preparing a mask member having a mask through hole, a member to be thermally sprayed, and a masking jig having a jig through hole, arranging the mask member on a front surface of the masking jig such that the mask through hole and the jig through hole overlap, arranging the member to be thermally sprayed on a back surface of the masking jig, and spraying a thermal spray material from the mask through hole toward the member to be thermally sprayed.
According to the thermal spraying method of this aspect, thermal spraying is performed in a state in which the mask member covers the surface of the masking jig, so that accumulation of the thermal spray material on the surface of the masking jig can be reduced or prevented.
(2) In the thermal spraying method of the above embodiment, the mask member and the member to be sprayed may be connected by a connecting member, and in the step of placing the member to be sprayed on the rear surface of the masking jig, the connecting member may be bent to place the member to be sprayed on the rear surface of the masking jig.
According to this aspect of the thermal spraying method, after the mask member is placed on the masking jig, the member to be thermally sprayed can be easily placed on the back surface of the masking jig.
(3) The thermal spraying method of the above aspect may further include, after the step of spraying the thermal spray material, a step of cutting the connecting member to separate the mask member and the member to be sprayed, and a step of removing the separated mask member.
According to the thermal spraying method of this embodiment, the mask member can be easily removed from the thermally sprayed member.
(4) In the thermal spraying method of the above aspect, the member to be sprayed may be an electrode electrically connected to a front electrode of an electrically heated catalyst, and after the step of placing the member to be sprayed on the back surface of the masking jig, the method may further include a step of placing the masking jig on which the mask member and the member to be sprayed are placed, on the front surface of the front electrode.
According to the thermal spraying method of this embodiment, it is possible to reduce or prevent deposition of the thermal spraying material on the surface of the masking jig during the production of the electrically heated catalyst.
(5) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a sprayed object unit for use in a masking jig. The sprayed object unit includes a sprayed object, the sprayed object being sprayed with a spray material at a sprayed position including a part of the sprayed object, a mask member having a mask through hole, and a connecting member connecting the mask member and the sprayed object, the connecting member enabling the sprayed object unit to be bent into an opposed state in which a surface of the mask member and a surface of the sprayed object face each other. In the opposed state, the mask through hole and the sprayed position are arranged at positions where they overlap each other.
According to this embodiment of the target unit, by assembling the masking jig to the target unit facing each other, spraying can be performed with the surface of the masking jig covered with the mask member, thereby reducing or preventing deposition of the spray material on the surface of the masking jig.
(6) In the sprayed object unit of the above-described form, when the sprayed object unit is bent into the opposing state, the distance from the rotation axis of the mask member to the mask through hole may be equal to the distance from the rotation axis to the sprayed object position.
According to this form of the object to be sprayed unit, when the object to be sprayed units are placed in an opposing state, it is easy to align the mask through-hole and the position to be sprayed with each other.
(7) In the target unit having the above configuration, the mask member may include an alignment mechanism for aligning a jig through-hole provided in a masking jig with the mask through-hole.
According to this form of the target unit, it is easy to align the jig through-hole of the masking jig with the mask through-hole.
The present disclosure can also be realized in various forms other than the thermal spraying method and the thermal sprayed object unit, such as a thermal sprayed object masking unit, an electrically heated catalyst, a vehicle part, a method for manufacturing a vehicle part, a method for processing a vehicle part, a surface treatment method, a construction method, a method for forming a thermal sprayed film, a method for manufacturing a thermal sprayed object unit, a method for manufacturing a thermal sprayed object masking unit, a method for manufacturing an electrically heated catalyst, a method for manufacturing a vehicle part, etc.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a masking unit for an object to be sprayed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a sprayed object unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of a surface of a masking jig. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the back surface of the masking jig. FIG. 2 is a process diagram showing a thermal spraying method using a masking unit for an object to be sprayed. FIG. 4 is a process diagram showing a method for assembling a masking unit for a target object to be sprayed. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of how the target object masking unit is assembled. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a thermal spraying method using a masking unit for an object to be thermal sprayed.

A. First embodiment:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a spray target masking unit 300 including a spray target unit 100 as a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The spray target masking unit 300 is used when spraying a spray target material onto a spray target member, which is an object to be sprayed with the spray target material. In this embodiment, the spray target member is an electrode wiring disposed on a surface electrode of an electrically heated catalyst (EHC). The electrically heated catalyst is used, for example, to forcibly activate the catalyst by electrically heating and to increase the purification efficiency of exhaust gas. As the electrically heated catalyst, for example, a cylindrical carrier having a honeycomb structure on which a catalyst such as platinum or palladium is supported is used. A surface electrode for current is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the carrier. In this embodiment, the spray target masking unit 300 is used to fix the electrode wiring for current to the surface electrode of the electrically heated catalyst.

The sprayed object masking unit 300 comprises the sprayed object unit 100 of this embodiment and a masking jig 200. In FIG. 1, only the sprayed object unit 100 is hatched to facilitate understanding of the technology. The sprayed object masking unit 300 is formed by assembling the sprayed object unit 100 to the masking jig 200.

The sprayed object masking unit 300 is provided with a spray through hole 342 for passing the spray material. By spraying the spray material into the spray through hole 342 of the sprayed object masking unit 300, the sprayed object (electrode member 60 described later in this embodiment) included in the sprayed object unit 100 is fixed to the surface electrode of the electrically heated catalyst. When the sprayed object is fixed using the spray material, the object to which the sprayed object is fixed using the spray material is also called a "fixed object". In this embodiment, the fixed object is the surface electrode of the electrically heated catalyst. When spraying the spray material, the sprayed object masking unit 300 covers the surface of the sprayed object to prevent the spray material from adhering to an unintended position on the sprayed object. As the spray material, various materials such as metal, ceramics, plastic, and cermet can be used. In this embodiment, a powdered composite material in which metal and ceramics are mixed is used as the spray material. The spray material is not limited to powder, but can be in wire or rod form.

2 is a perspective view showing the sprayed object unit 100 of this embodiment. The sprayed object unit 100 is a flat plate-shaped member formed using a stainless steel alloy. The sprayed object unit 100 includes a mask member 40, a connecting member 50, and an electrode member 60. In this embodiment, the sprayed object unit 100 has the mask member 40, the connecting member 50, and the electrode member 60 arranged in this order on a substantially straight line. The sprayed object unit 100 shown in FIG. 2 shows the state after manufacturing and before being assembled to the masking jig 200. In this embodiment, the sprayed object unit 100 is manufactured by die molding using a metal material, and the mask member 40, the connecting member 50, and the electrode member 60 are integrally formed by die molding. The sprayed object unit 100 is not limited to a stainless steel alloy and may be formed using various metals, for example, various alloys such as Ni-based alloys and Co alloys.

As shown in FIG. 2, the manufactured target unit 100 is formed so that the surface direction of the mask member 40's surface MT and the surface direction of the electrode member 60's surface ET are on the same plane. As shown in FIG. 2, the state in which the surface direction of the mask member 40's surface MT and the surface direction of the electrode member 60's surface ET are on the same plane is also called the "parallel state." Note that the back surface MB of the mask member 40 and the back surface EB of the electrode member 60 are configured in the same way as the mask member 40's surface MT and the electrode member 60's surface ET, so a description thereof will be omitted.

The electrode member 60 is a flat plate-shaped member with a thickness of about 0.1 mm. The electrode member 60 is a member to be sprayed with the spray material, and is fixed to the surface electrode of the electrically heated catalyst as the fixed object. The electrode member 60 fixed to the surface electrode functions as an electrode for passing electricity through the electrically heated catalyst. In this embodiment, the electrode member 60 functions as the anode of a pair of electrodes provided on the electrically heated catalyst. The electrode member 60 is not limited to being an anode, and may be used as a cathode, or may be used as both an anode and a cathode.

2, the electrode member 60 includes a first wiring 61 and a second wiring 62. The electrode member 60 has an elongated shape along one direction, and the first wiring 61 and the second wiring 62 are arranged in order along the extending direction. The first wiring 61 is a part of the electrode member 60 that is directly or indirectly connected to a power source such as a battery. The second wiring 62 is a part that abuts and is electrically connected to the surface electrode of the electrically heated catalyst. The second wiring 62 is formed continuously with the first wiring 61, and supplies the power supplied from the power source through the first wiring 61 to the surface electrode of the electrically heated catalyst. In this embodiment, the second wiring 62 has 15 straight wirings and has an external shape like so-called comb teeth. The width of each wiring of the second wiring 62 is, for example, about 0.5 to 1.0 mm.

Each of the second wirings 62 is fixed to the surface electrode by disposing a thermal spray material over a portion of each of the second wirings 62 arranged on the surface electrode of the electrically heated catalyst and the surface electrode around each of the wirings. In this disclosure, the position where the thermal spray material is to be sprayed on the sprayed member is also called the "sprayed position". The sprayed position is set in advance. When the sprayed member is fixed to a fixed object using the thermal spray material, the sprayed position includes a part of the fixed object. In FIG. 2, the sprayed position PT is conceptually shown to facilitate understanding of the technology. The sprayed position PT includes a part of the surface electrode as the fixed object and a part of the second wiring 62 as the sprayed member arranged on the surface electrode. The number of sprayed positions PT and their arrangement positions can be set arbitrarily. In this embodiment, the number of sprayed positions PT is 15, which is the same number as the number of wires that the second wiring 62 has. The sprayed positions PT are arranged on a straight line in the first row PL1 and the second row PL2. The first row PL1 has eight sprayed positions PT, and the second row PL2 has seven sprayed positions PT. The sprayed positions PT are arranged alternately in the first row PL1 and the second row PL2 in a so-called staggered array.

The mask member 40 is a flat plate-like member with a thickness of about 0.1 mm. As described below, when spraying the thermal spray material, the mask member 40 covers the surface of the masking jig 200, thereby reducing or suppressing adhesion of the thermal spray material to the masking jig 200. The mask member 40 has a mask through hole 42 and a fixing hole 44.

As described below, the fixing holes 44 are fitted into the mask fixing protrusions 244 of the masking jig 200. The fixing holes 44, together with the mask fixing protrusions 244, function as an alignment mechanism used to align the mask member 40 with the masking jig 200 when placing the mask member 40 on the masking jig 200.

The mask through-holes 42 are portions through which the spray material passes during thermal spraying. The mask through-holes 42 penetrate the mask member 40 from the front surface MT to the back surface MB of the mask member 40, i.e., in the thickness direction. The mask through-holes 42 are provided in a number corresponding to the number of sprayed positions PT. In this embodiment, 15 mask through-holes 42 are provided. The mask through-holes 42 are arranged on respective straight lines in the first row ML1 corresponding to the first row PL1 of the sprayed positions PT and the second row ML2 corresponding to the second row PL2. The first row ML1 has eight mask through-holes 42, and the second row ML2 has seven mask through-holes 42. Each of the mask through-holes 42 is arranged alternately in the first row ML1 and the second row ML2, and is arranged according to a so-called staggered arrangement.

The connecting member 50 connects the electrode member 60 and the mask member 40. In this embodiment, the connecting member 50 is a shaft-shaped member with a thickness of 0.1 mm and a width of about 0.5 to 1.0 mm. In the example of FIG. 2, the connecting member 50 is provided at the end of the second wiring 62 in the extension direction of the electrode member 60. The length W1 of the connecting member 50 is longer than the thickness T1 of the masking jig 200 described later. The connecting member 50 can be bent by utilizing the plastic deformation of metal, and the relative positions of the mask member 40 and the electrode member 60 can be changed as desired. The connecting member 50 can be cut, and for example, by being cut after the completion of thermal spraying, the sprayed body unit 100 is divided into the mask member 40 and the electrode member 60.

In this embodiment, two connecting members 50 are provided. The arrangement direction of the two connecting members 50 is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the mask member 40 and the electrode member 60. As a result, the rotation axis of the mask member 40 when bent is configured to be the rotation axis BD along the arrangement direction of the connecting members 50. That is, the sprayed object unit 100 of this embodiment can rotate the mask member 40 around the rotation axis BD relative to the electrode member 60. As a result, the connecting member 50 can bend the sprayed object unit 100 into an opposing state in which the surface MT of the mask member 40 and the surface ET of the electrode member 60 face each other. The number of connecting members 50 is not limited to two, and may be one, or may be three or more. The connecting member 50 is not limited to an axial shape and can be any shape, for example, a flat plate shape, or a columnar shape such as a cylinder or a polygonal column.

2 shows one mask through hole 421 included in the multiple mask through holes 42, one sprayed position PT1 included in the multiple sprayed positions PT, and the rotation axis BD of the mask member 40 when the sprayed body unit 100 is bent to an opposing state. The mask through hole 421 is arranged at a position corresponding to the sprayed position PT1. Specifically, when the sprayed body unit 100 is in an opposing state, the mask through hole 421 is arranged at a position overlapping with the sprayed position PT1 in a plan view. FIG. 2 shows the linear distance L1 from the rotation axis BD to the mask through hole 421, and the linear distance L2 from the rotation axis BD to the sprayed position PT1. The linear distance L1 and the linear distance L2 are equal. In this way, each mask through hole 42 and each corresponding sprayed position PT are arranged so that the linear distance from the rotation axis BD to each mask through hole 42 is equal to the linear distance from the rotation axis BD to each sprayed position PT. For example, in the parallel sprayed object unit 100 shown in FIG. 2, each mask through hole 42 is arranged in a position that is linearly symmetrical with respect to the position of each sprayed position PT, with the rotation axis BD as the axis of symmetry. In this way, in the sprayed object unit 100 in the opposing state, each mask through hole 42 of the mask member 40 can be arranged to overlap each sprayed position PT of the second wiring 62.

3 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the surface TP of the masking jig 200. The masking jig 200 is a flat plate-shaped member formed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. When spraying the thermal spray material, the masking jig 200 covers the surface of the electrode member 60, which is the member to be sprayed, and the surface of the surface electrode, thereby suppressing the thermal spray material from adhering to the thermal spray position PT, i.e., an unplanned position between the surface electrode and the electrode member 60. When forming the sprayed object masking unit 300, the mask member 40 is placed on the surface TP of the masking jig 200 with the surface MT of the mask member 40 abutting against the surface TP of the masking jig 200. Note that the masking jig 200 is not limited to aluminum-based materials, and may be formed using various metal materials such as iron-based materials. The mask member 40 may be placed in a state where it is not in contact with the surface TP of the masking jig 200, but is opposed to the surface TP of the masking jig 200 and is spaced apart from the surface TP of the masking jig 200.

The front surface TP of the masking jig 200 is provided with a jig through hole 242 and a mask fixing protrusion 244. The jig through hole 242 is a part of the through hole 342 for thermal spraying, and is a through hole for passing the thermal spray material. The jig through hole 242 penetrates the masking jig 200 from the front surface TP to the back surface BP of the masking jig 200, i.e., in the thickness direction. The number of the jig through holes 242 is provided in a number corresponding to the number of the positions PT to be thermal sprayed, that is, the number corresponding to the mask through holes 42 of the mask member 40. In this embodiment, the number of the jig through holes 242 is 15, and they are arranged in a straight line in the first row JL1 corresponding to the first row PL1 of the positions PT to be thermal sprayed and the second row JL2 corresponding to the second row PL2 of the positions PT to be thermal sprayed. The first row JL1 has eight jig through holes 242, and the second row JL2 has seven jig through holes 242. The jig through holes 242 are arranged alternately in the first row JL1 and the second row JL2, in a so-called staggered arrangement. When the sprayed object unit 100 is assembled to the masking jig 200, the jig through holes 242 and the mask through holes 42 are overlapped, forming the spray through holes 342 shown in FIG. 1 in the sprayed object masking unit 300.

The mask fixing protrusions 244 fit into the fixing holes 44 provided in the mask member 40 shown in FIG. 2. The mask fixing protrusions 244, together with the fixing holes 44, function as an alignment mechanism used to align the jig through holes 242 and the mask through holes 42 when placing the mask member 40 on the surface TP of the masking jig 200. Note that, in cases where the alignment between the jig through holes 242 and the mask through holes 42 has sufficient precision, the mask fixing protrusions 244 and the fixing holes 44 do not need to be provided.

The masking jig 200 has a first side S1 and a second side S2 opposite to the first side S1. The first side S1 functions as a guide against which the connecting member 50 abuts and defines the rotation axis BD when the connecting member 50 is bent to form the facing state of the sprayed object unit 100. A recess 261 is formed on the second side S2. The recess 261 has a concave shape toward the center of the masking jig 200. The width of the recess 261 is approximately the same as the width of the first wiring 61 of the electrode member 60. As a result, for example, after the spray material is sprayed on the sprayed object masking unit 300 shown in FIG. 1 and the electrode member 60 is fixed to the surface electrode, the first wiring 61 functions as a guide when bending the first wiring 61 in a direction away from the fixed object in order to connect the first wiring 61 to a power source.

Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the back surface BP of the masking jig 200. An electrode member 60 is arranged on the back surface BP of the masking jig 200. From the viewpoint of preventing the sprayed material deposited by thermal spraying from contacting the inner wall of the jig through hole 242 of the masking jig 200, it is preferable that the electrode member 60 is spaced apart from the back surface BP of the masking jig 200 when the sprayed object masking unit 300 is formed. However, the electrode member 60 is not limited to this, and may be arranged in contact with the back surface BP of the masking jig 200.

As shown in FIG. 4, the back surface BP of the masking jig 200 is provided with four wiring fixing convex portions 260. The four wiring fixing convex portions 260 are arranged at positions corresponding to the outer shape of the second wiring 62. When the second wiring 62 is arranged on the back surface BP of the masking jig 200, each wiring fixing convex portion 260 abuts against the outer peripheral ends of the four corners of the second wiring 62. This functions as a mechanism for aligning the sprayed position PT with respect to the jig through hole 242 when the second wiring 62 is arranged on the back surface BP of the masking jig 200. According to the sprayed object masking unit 300 configured in this manner, after the mask member 40 is arranged on the front surface TP of the masking jig 200, when the connecting member 50 is bent to form an opposing state, it is possible to easily align the electrode member 60 with respect to the back surface BP of the masking jig 200. As a result, it is possible to easily align the sprayed position PT of the electrode member 60 with respect to the jig through hole 242 of the masking jig 200.

The procedure for the thermal spraying method using the thermal spraying object masking unit 300 equipped with the thermal spraying object unit 100 of this embodiment will be described using Figures 5 to 8. Figure 5 is a process diagram showing the thermal spraying method using the thermal spraying object masking unit 300. In step S10, the thermal spraying object unit 100 and the masking jig 200 are prepared. The thermal spraying object unit 100 may be prepared in the parallel state after mold forming as shown in Figure 2.

In step S20, the sprayed object masking unit 300 is assembled. Specifically, the sprayed object masking unit 300 is formed by assembling the sprayed object unit 100 in an opposing state to the masking jig 200. In step S30, the assembled sprayed object masking unit 300 is placed on the surface electrode of the electrically heated catalyst. In step S40, the spraying material is sprayed into the spraying through holes 342 of the sprayed object masking unit 300. This causes the spraying material to be deposited at the sprayed position PT, including the electrode member 60. As a result, the electrode member 60 is fixed onto the surface electrode as the fixed object, and the second wiring 62 is electrically connected to the surface electrode.

In step S50, the connecting member 50 is cut. The connecting member 50 can be cut by an operator using, for example, nippers. As a result, the sprayed body unit 100 is divided into the mask member 40 and the electrode member 60. The cutting position of the connecting member 50 is preferably close to the second wiring 62 from the viewpoint of suppressing current flow through the part corresponding to the connecting member 50 after cutting when the electrode member 60 is energized. A dedicated device may be used to cut the connecting member 50, or the stress applied to the connecting member 50 when the connecting member 50 is bent may be used without using nippers. In step S60, the mask member 40 of the sprayed body unit 100 and the masking jig 200 are removed from the surface electrode. With the above, the spraying is completed. In this embodiment, the removed mask member 40 is discarded, and the masking jig 200 is reused.

Using FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the details of the method of assembling the sprayed object masking unit 300 in step S20 will be described. FIG. 6 is a process diagram showing the method of assembling the sprayed object masking unit 300. Each process shown in FIG. 6 may be performed manually by an operator or may be performed using a dedicated device.

In step S22, the mask member 40 of the sprayed object unit 100 is placed on the front surface TP of the masking jig 200. In step S24, the connecting member 50 of the sprayed object unit 100 with the mask member 40 placed on the front surface TP of the masking jig 200 is bent around the rotation axis BD to form an opposing state of the sprayed object unit 100. In step S26, the electrode member 60 is placed on the back surface BP of the masking jig 200. This completes the assembly of the sprayed object masking unit 300.

Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram that shows a schematic diagram of how the sprayed object masking unit 300 is assembled. Figure 7 shows the front surface TP of the masking jig 200 and the back surface of the sprayed object unit 100, i.e., the back surface MB of the mask member 40 and the back surface EB of the electrode member 60.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the parallel target unit 100 is assembled to the masking jig 200, the mask member 40 is moved along the direction D1 shown in FIG. 7 and placed on the surface TP of the masking jig 200. At this time, the mask through-hole 42 can be easily aligned with the jig through-hole 242 by fitting the fixing hole 44 provided in the mask member 40 into the mask fixing protrusion 244 of the masking jig 200. As a result, the surface MT of the mask member 40 abuts against the surface TP of the masking jig 200, and the mask member 40 is placed on the masking jig 200 with the jig through-hole 242 and the mask through-hole 42 overlapping each other.

When the mask member 40 is placed on the masking jig 200, the sprayed body unit 100 is bent around the rotation axis BD with the mask member 40 placed on the masking jig 200. Specifically, as shown by the arrow D2 in FIG. 7, the electrode member 60 is rotated around the rotation axis BD toward the back surface BP of the masking jig 200. At this time, the rotation axis BD can be easily formed by bending the connecting member 50 along the surface of the first side surface S1 of the masking jig 200. As a result, when the electrode member 60 is placed on the back surface BP of the masking jig 200, the electrode member 60 can be easily aligned with respect to the back surface BP of the masking jig 200. The second wiring 62 of the electrode member 60 is positioned using the wiring fixing convex portion 260 shown in FIG. 4. By using the wiring fixing convex portion 260, it is easy to align the sprayed position PT of the second wiring 62 with the jig through hole 242 on the back surface BP of the masking jig 200. At this time, the electrode member 60 is positioned away from the back surface BP of the masking jig 200. This completes the assembly of the sprayed object masking unit 300.

Using Figure 8, we will explain the spraying method of the thermal spray material using the target object masking unit 300. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram that shows a schematic diagram of the thermal spraying method using the target object masking unit 300. In Figure 8, in order to facilitate understanding of the technology, the target object masking unit 300 is shown in an exploded perspective view, and the length of the connecting member 50 is shown to be longer than the actual length of the connecting member 50.

Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of a surface electrode 460 and a thermal spray nozzle 80 that sprays the thermal spray material. The surface electrode 460 is a fixed object and is an electrode that is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the electrically heated catalyst. The surface electrode 460 has, for example, a substantially rectangular planar shape. Note that while one surface electrode 460 is shown in Figure 8, two surface electrodes 460 corresponding to the anode and cathode are arranged on the outer surface of the electrically heated catalyst so as to face each other. The shape of the surface electrode 460 is not limited to a rectangular shape and may be various shapes.

The thermal spray nozzle 80 is connected to a thermal spraying device (not shown). In this embodiment, the thermal spraying device is a plasma thermal spraying type thermal spraying device. The thermal spraying device, for example, applies thermal energy to the thermal spraying material to make the thermal spraying material semi-molten, and sprays the semi-molten thermal spraying material to which kinetic energy has been applied from the thermal spraying nozzle 80. The thermal spraying device is not limited to plasma thermal spraying, and may be a thermal spraying device of various types such as flame thermal spraying, arc thermal spraying, high-velocity flame thermal spraying, and laser thermal spraying.

In FIG. 8, the movement path NR of the thermal spray nozzle 80 is shown diagrammatically by a dashed arrow. The movement path NR can be set arbitrarily. In this embodiment, the movement path NR is a path that moves back and forth along the arrangement of the thermal spray through holes 342, i.e., the arrangement of the first row ML1 and the second row ML2 of the mask through holes 42. The thermal spray nozzle 80 moves along the movement path NR and sprays the thermal spray material onto each of the thermal spray through holes 342.

Figure 8 shows a schematic of a sprayed material jet 82 sprayed from a spray nozzle 80. The sprayed material jet 82 passes through a spray through hole 342 formed by overlapping a mask through hole 42 and a jig through hole 242, and impinges on a sprayed position PT including the second wiring 62 and the surface electrode 460. The sprayed material accumulates and solidifies at the sprayed position PT, forming a sprayed film 70 also called a splat. The sprayed film 70 solidifies with the second wiring 62 in contact with the surface electrode 460, and fixes the second wiring 62 to the surface electrode 460 by the adhesive force with the surface electrode 460, and electrically connects the second wiring 62 and the surface electrode 460.

When the spraying of the thermal spray material is completed, the connecting member 50 is cut at the cutting position CT shown in FIG. 8, and the sprayed body unit 100 is divided into the mask member 40 and the electrode member 60. The divided mask member 40 and masking jig 200 are removed from the surface electrode 460. The removed mask member 40 is discarded, and the masking jig 200 is reused.

As described above, in the thermal spraying method using the target unit 100 of this embodiment, the mask member 40 is placed on the front surface TP of the masking jig 200 so that the mask through hole 42 of the mask member 40 overlaps with the jig through hole 242 of the masking jig 200, and the electrode member 60 as the target is placed on the back surface BP of the masking jig 200. In this state, the thermal spray material is sprayed from the mask through hole 42 of the masking jig 200, i.e., the thermal spray through hole 342, toward the electrode member 60, which is the target material. According to the thermal spraying method using the target unit 100 of this embodiment, the mask member 40 is sprayed in a state where it covers the front surface TP of the masking jig 200, so that the deposition of the thermal spray material on the front surface TP of the masking jig 200 can be reduced or prevented.

According to the thermal spraying method of this embodiment, when placing the electrode member 60 on the back surface BP of the masking jig 200, the connecting member 50 is bent and the electrode member 60 as the member to be thermal sprayed is placed on the back surface MB of the masking jig 200. Therefore, when bending the sprayed body unit 100 after placing the mask member 40 on the front surface TP of the masking jig 200, it becomes easy to place the electrode member 60 on the back surface BP of the masking jig 200, and it becomes easy to align the mask member 40 and the electrode member 60 with respect to the masking jig 200. In addition, the mask member 40 and the electrode member 60 can be formed integrally, which improves the productivity of the sprayed body unit 100.

According to the welding method of this embodiment, after spraying the spray material, the connecting member 50 is cut to separate the mask member 40 from the member to be sprayed, and the separated mask member 40 is removed. Therefore, the mask member 40 can be easily removed from the electrode member 60 fixed to the surface electrode 460 by spraying.

According to the thermal spraying method of this embodiment, the member to be sprayed is an electrode member 60 electrically connected to the surface electrode 460 of the electrically heated catalyst. After the process of placing the electrode member 60 on the back surface MB of the masking jig 200, the masking jig 200 is placed on the surface MT of the surface electrode 460, and the thermal spray material is sprayed from the mask through hole 42 toward the electrode member 60. Therefore, the electrode member 60 can be fixed to the surface electrode 460 of the electrically heated catalyst using the thermal spray material, and the deposition of the thermal spray material on the surface TP of the masking jig 200 during the manufacture of the electrically heated catalyst can be reduced or prevented.

The sprayed object unit 100 of this embodiment includes an electrode member 60 to which a spray material is sprayed at a sprayed position PT, a mask member 40 having a mask through hole 42, and a connecting member 50 that connects the mask member 40 and the electrode member 60, and allows the sprayed object unit 100 to bend into an opposing state in which the surface MT of the mask member 40 and the surface ET of the electrode member 60 face each other. According to the sprayed object unit 100 of this embodiment, the bending of the connecting member 50 forms an opposing state in which the surface MT of the mask member 40 and the surface ET of the electrode member 60 face each other. Therefore, spraying can be performed with the surface TP of the masking jig 200 covered by the mask member 40, so that deposition of the spray material on the surface TP of the masking jig 200 can be reduced or prevented.

In the sprayed object unit 100 of this embodiment, the mask through hole 42 and the sprayed object position PT are arranged so that the linear distance L1 from the rotation axis BD to the mask through hole 42 is equal to the linear distance L2 from the rotation axis BD to the sprayed object position PT. Therefore, when the sprayed object unit 100 is placed in an opposing state, it is easy to overlap the mask through hole 42 and the sprayed object position PT with each other.

In the sprayed object unit 100 of this embodiment, the mask member 40 further includes a fixing hole 44 that fits into a mask fixing protrusion 244 provided on the masking jig 200. The fixing hole 44 functions as an alignment mechanism for aligning the mask through hole 42 with the jig through hole 242. Therefore, when placing the surface MT of the mask member 40 on the surface TP of the masking jig 200, it becomes easy to align the jig through hole 242 with the mask through hole 42.

B. Other embodiments:
(B1) In the above embodiment, the fixed object is the surface electrode 460 of the electrically heated catalyst, and the member to be sprayed is the electrode member 60 fixed to the surface electrode 460. In contrast, the fixed object is not limited to the electrically heated catalyst, and may be, for example, various vehicle parts such as a cylinder head, a cylinder block, a piston, etc., or various members such as machine parts, buildings, etc., structures. In this case, the member to be sprayed is not limited to the electrode member 60, and may be a member corresponding to various purposes such as a protective film or a heat shielding film for the above-mentioned various members, a coating for corrosion prevention or rust prevention of a structure, or a coating for improving wear resistance or heat resistance. In addition, there is no fixed object, and the member to be sprayed does not have to be fixed to the fixed object. In this case, only the member to be sprayed is included in the position to be sprayed, and the spray material is sprayed only on the member to be sprayed.

(B2) In the above embodiment, the connecting member 50 is disposed at the end of the second wiring 62 in the extension direction of the electrode member 60. In contrast, the connecting member 50 is not limited to being disposed at the end of the second wiring 62 in the extension direction of the electrode member 60, and can be set at any position on the premise that the mask through hole 42 of the mask member 40 is disposed at the desired sprayed position PT in the facing state. For example, the connecting member 50 may be formed at any end of the second wiring 62 in the direction intersecting the extension direction of the electrode member 60. In this case, the mask member 40 is connected to the connecting member 50 so that the position of the mask through hole 42 in the facing state of the mask member 40 coincides with the position of the sprayed position PT.

(B3) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the mask member 40 and the electrode member 60 are connected by the connecting member 50. In contrast, the connecting member 50 may not be provided, and the mask member 40 and the electrode member 60 may be used separately. Even in this form of thermal spraying method, the surface MT of the mask member 40 is placed on the surface TP of the masking jig 200, and the surface ET of the electrode member 60 is placed on the back surface BP of the masking jig 200, so that thermal spraying can be performed in the same manner as in the above embodiment, and deposition of the thermal spray material on the surface of the masking jig 200 can be reduced or prevented.

(B4) In the above embodiment, the mask member 40 of the target unit 100 is placed on the front surface TP of the masking jig 200, and the connecting member 50 of the target unit 100 with the mask member 40 placed on the front surface TP of the masking jig 200 is bent around the rotation axis BD to form the target unit 100 facing the target unit 100, and the electrode member 60 is placed on the back surface BP of the masking jig 200. In contrast, after the electrode member 60 is placed on the back surface BP of the masking jig 200, the connecting member 50 of the target unit 100 with the electrode member 60 placed on the back surface BP of the masking jig 200 is bent around the rotation axis BD to form the target unit 100 facing the target unit 100, and the mask member 40 of the target unit 100 may be placed on the front surface TP of the masking jig 200.

(B5) In the above embodiment, the sprayed object unit 100 is formed so that the surface direction of the mask member 40's surface MT and the surface direction of the electrode member 60's surface ET are on the same plane. In contrast, the sprayed object unit 100 does not necessarily need to be formed so that the surface direction of the mask member 40's surface MT and the surface ET of the electrode member 60 are on the same plane, and it is sufficient that the mask member 40 and the electrode member 60 have a structure that allows them to be opposed to each other by bending the connecting member 50. In addition, the mask member 40 and the electrode member 60 do not need to be manufactured in a parallel state, and may be manufactured in a state other than a parallel state, such as an opposed state.

The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each form described in the Summary of the Invention column can be replaced or combined as appropriate to solve some or all of the above-described problems or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate.

40...mask member, 42, 421...mask through hole, 44...fixing hole, 50...connecting member, 60...electrode member, 61...first wiring, 62...second wiring, 70...sprayed film, 80...spraying nozzle, 82...jet, 100...body to be sprayed unit, 200...masking jig, 242...jig through hole, 244...mask fixing convex part, 260...wiring fixing convex part, 261...concave, 300...body to be sprayed masking unit, 342...spraying through hole, 460...surface electrode, BP...back side of masking jig, EB...back side of electrode member, ET...surface of electrode member, MB...back side of mask member, MT...surface of mask member, NR...movement path, PT, PT1...position to be sprayed, S1...first side, S2...second side, TP...surface of masking jig

Claims (6)

A thermal spraying method for thermally spraying a member to be thermally sprayed, comprising the steps of:
A step of preparing a mask member having a mask through-hole, a member to be sprayed, and a masking jig having a jig through-hole;
placing the mask member on a surface of the masking jig such that the mask through-hole and the jig through-hole overlap;
placing the member to be sprayed on a back surface of the masking jig;
and spraying a thermal spray material from the mask through-hole toward the member to be thermally sprayed.
the mask member and the member to be sprayed are connected by a connecting member,
In the step of placing the member to be thermally sprayed on the back surface of the masking jig, the connecting member is bent to place the member to be thermally sprayed on the back surface of the masking jig.
Thermal spraying method. The thermal spray method according to claim 1,
Furthermore, after the step of spraying the thermal spray material, a step of cutting the connecting member to separate the mask member and the member to be thermal sprayed;
and removing the divided mask member.
Thermal spraying method. The thermal spraying method according to claim 1 or 2,
the member to be sprayed is an electrode electrically connected to a surface electrode of an electrically heated catalyst,
a step of disposing the member to be thermally sprayed on the back surface of the masking jig, followed by a step of disposing the masking jig on which the mask member and the member to be thermally sprayed are disposed, on the front surface of the front electrode;
Thermal spraying method. A spray target unit used in a masking jig, comprising:
a member to be sprayed, the member being sprayed with a spray material at a spray position including a part of the member to be sprayed;
a mask member having a mask through hole;
a connecting member that connects the mask member and the member to be sprayed, and that enables the sprayed body unit to be bent into an opposed state in which a surface of the mask member and a surface of the member to be sprayed face each other;
In the facing state,
The mask through-hole and the position to be sprayed are arranged at a position where they overlap each other,
The mask member is disposed on a surface of the masking jig such that the mask through-hole and a jig through-hole provided in the masking jig overlap each other;
The member to be sprayed is placed on the back surface of the masking jig.
The unit to be sprayed. The spray target unit according to claim 4,
When the target unit is bent into the facing state, a distance from the rotation axis of the mask member to the mask through hole is equal to a distance from the rotation axis to the target position.
The unit to be sprayed. The unit to be sprayed according to claim 4 or 5,
The mask member includes an alignment mechanism for aligning the jig through-hole and the mask through-hole.
The unit to be sprayed.

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