Welding device and method for welding thermoplastic resin articles, and pressing unit for the welding device

1. A welding device for welding thermoplastic resin articles disposed in close contact with a supporting member, comprising:

a compressor configured to compress a surface of a welding part of the thermoplastic resin articles to be welded, and surfaces of the thermoplastic resin articles adjoining the welding part; and

a heater,

wherein the welding device is configured such that:

the surface of the welding part of the thermoplastic resin articles is compressed with a predetermined pressure by the compressor,

compression of the thermoplastic resin articles is then continued to extend a compressed region without changing a relative position between the compressor in the compressed region and the surface of the welding part of the thermoplastic resin articles, the welding part of the thermoplastic resin articles is heated and welded by the heater, and

after the welding, the pressure applied by the compressor is lowered to stop the compression of the thermoplastic resin articles such that the welded thermoplastic resin articles can be taken out of the welding device.

2. A welding device for welding thermoplastic resin articles disposed in close contact with a core serving as a supporting member, comprising:

a compressor configured to compress a surface of a welding part of the thermoplastic resin articles to be welded, and surfaces of the thermoplastic resin articles adjoining the welding part, in directions perpendicular to an axis of the core; and

a heater,

wherein the welding device is configured such that:

the surface of the welding part of the thermoplastic resin articles is compressed with a predetermined pressure by the compressor,

compression of the thermoplastic resin articles is then continued to extend a compressed region along the axis of the core without changing a relative position between the compressor in the compressed region and the surface of the welding part of the thermoplastic resin articles, the welding part of the thermoplastic resin articles is heated and welded by the heater, and

after the welding, the pressure applied by the compressor is lowered to stop the compression of the thermoplastic resin articles such that the welded thermoplastic resin articles can be taken out of the welding device.

3. The welding device according to claim 2 , wherein:

the compressor includes a pressurizing tube expandable and contractible in directions perpendicular to the axis of the core, and a pressurizer configured to apply a fluid pressure to the pressurizing tube in directions perpendicular to the axis of the core,

the pressurizer is constituted by a hollow housing having a hollow space to form a cavity between a peripheral surface of the pressurizing tube and the hollow housing, and a fluid feeder configured to supply a fluid to the cavity,

part of the hollow housing is disposed in close contact with the pressurizing tube to form the cavity between the peripheral surface of the pressurizing tube and the hollow housing, and the fluid is supplied to the cavity by the fluid feeder to deform the pressurizing tube in directions perpendicular to the axis of the core and compress the surfaces of the thermoplastic resin articles.

4. The welding device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the compressor includes an extendable and contractible pressurizing sheet, and a pressurizer configured to apply a fluid pressure to the pressurizing sheet,

the pressurizer is constituted by a hollow housing having an open hole to form a cavity between the pressurizing sheet and the hollow housing, and a fluid feeder configured to supply a fluid to the cavity,

part of the hollow housing is disposed in close contact with the pressurizing sheet to form the cavity between the pressurizing sheet and the hollow housing, and the fluid pressure is supplied to the cavity by the fluid feeder to deform the pressurizing sheet and compress the surfaces of the thermoplastic resin articles.

5. The welding device according to claim 2 , wherein:

the compressor includes a pressurizing tube expandable and contractible in directions perpendicular to the axis of the core, and a pressurizer configured to apply pressure to the pressurizing tube in directions along the axis of the core, and

the pressurizer applies pressure to the pressurizing tube in directions along the axis of the core to deform the pressurizing tube in directions perpendicular to the axis of the core and compress the surfaces of the thermoplastic resin articles.

6. The welding device according to claim 3 , wherein:

the pressurizing tube is located outside of the thermoplastic resin articles, and

the pressurizing tube has an inner diameter varying in an axial direction of the core such that the inner diameter is large at end portions of the pressurizing tube and decreases toward a middle portion of the pressurizing tube.

7. The welding device according to claim 3 , wherein:

the pressurizing tube is located inside of the thermoplastic resin articles, and

the pressurizing tube has an outer diameter varying in an axial direction of the core such that the outer diameter is small at end portions of the pressurizing tube and increases toward a middle portion of the pressurizing tube.

8. The welding device according to claim 2 , wherein:

the core is a tubular core having a hollow in which the heater is arranged, and

the core is heated by the heater such that heat of the heated core is transferred to the thermoplastic resin articles to weld the thermoplastic resin articles together.

9. The welding device according to claim 2 , wherein:

the heater is a high-frequency induction heater, and

the core is heated by the heater such that heat of the heated core is transferred to the thermoplastic resin articles to weld the thermoplastic resin articles together.

10. The welding device according to claim 2 , wherein:

the heater is a laser heater, and

the core is heated by the heater such that heat of the heated core is transferred to the thermoplastic resin articles to weld the thermoplastic resin articles together.

11. A pressing unit used in the welding device according to claim 2 , comprising:

a pressurizing tube expandable and contractible in directions perpendicular to the axis of the core; and

a hollow housing having a hollow space to form a cavity between a peripheral surface of the pressurizing tube and the hollow housing, the hollow housing having a pump connection hole communicating with the hollow space,

wherein the pressurizing tube is deformed when applied with a fluid pressure via the pump connection hole, to compress the surfaces of the thermoplastic resin articles.

12. A pressing unit used in the welding device according to claim 1 , comprising:

an extendable and contractible pressurizing sheet; and

a hollow housing having an open hole to form a cavity between the pressurizing sheet and the hollow housing, the hollow housing having a pump connection hole communicating with the open hole,

wherein the pressurizing sheet is deformed when applied with a fluid pressure via the pump connection hole, to compress the surfaces of the thermoplastic resin articles.

13. The welding device according to claim 2 , wherein:

the welding device further comprises a pressurizing tube expandable and contractible in directions perpendicular to the axis of the core, and a hollow housing having a hollow space to form a cavity between a peripheral surface of the pressurizing tube and the hollow housing, the hollow housing having a pump connection hole communicating with the hollow space, and

a pressing unit is detachably mounted to the welding device and configured to cause the pressurizing tube to be deformed when a fluid pressure is applied to the pressurizing tube via the pump connection hole, to compress the surfaces of the thermoplastic resin articles.

14. The welding device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the welding device further comprises an extendable and contractible pressurizing sheet constituting the compressor, and a hollow housing having an open hole to form a cavity between the pressurizing sheet and the hollow housing, the hollow housing having a pump connection hole communicating with the open hole, and

a pressing unit is detachably mounted to the welding device and configured to cause the pressurizing sheet to swell when a fluid pressure is applied to the pressurizing sheet via the pump connection hole, to compress the surfaces of the thermoplastic resin articles.

15. The welding device according to claim 3 , wherein the fluid feeder is connected with a heater configured to heat the fluid such that pressure of the heated fluid is used as the fluid pressure.

16. The welding device according to claim 1 , wherein a pressure controller constituting the compressor is configured to perform pressurization control and depressurization control.