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청구항
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1. A method for providing a pin to plate joint, comprising the steps of:a) providing the plate comprising an entry side, an exit side, and a thickness extending between the entry side and exit side,b) cutting the plate through the thickness thereof and forming a cutout pattern in the plate,c) providing the pin comprising a surrounding side wall extending to a contact end having a contact surface,d) aligning the contact end of the pin with the cutout pattern,e) moving the pin through the cutout pattern in the plate from the entry side to the exit side of ...
1. A method for providing a pin to plate joint, comprising the steps of:a) providing the plate comprising an entry side, an exit side, and a thickness extending between the entry side and exit side,b) cutting the plate through the thickness thereof and forming a cutout pattern in the plate,c) providing the pin comprising a surrounding side wall extending to a contact end having a contact surface,d) aligning the contact end of the pin with the cutout pattern,e) moving the pin through the cutout pattern in the plate from the entry side to the exit side of the plate, the pin forcing on the cutout pattern and causing tabs to raise from the exit side of the plate at bends, the tabs orienting at an angle with respect to the exit side of the plate and moving into a closely spaced relationship with the pin side wall, there being spaces defined between the pin side wall and the plate,f) heating at least one of either the tabs or the pin, thus creating melted tab material that flows into the spaces between the pin side wall and the plate and wicking over the contact surface of the pin, andg) cooling the melted material between the pin side wall and the plate and that wicked over the contact surface of the pin to thereby form a robust pin to plate joint. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of orienting the tabs at an angle with respect to the exit side of the plate further comprises orienting the tabs at substantially right angles to the exit side of the plate. 3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the cutout pattern comprises three cutouts radiating from a common geometrical point, each of the cutouts being at about 120 degrees from one another, so that three triangular-shaped tabs raise from the exit side of the plate upon moving the pin through the plate. 4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the act of heating comprises laser welding. 5. The method of claim 3 further comprising sizing the pin such that when it passes through the cutout pattern defined in the plate, it is in a close fitting relationship with the three triangular-shaped tabs. 6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the act of providing the plate with a thickness of from about 0.002 inches to about 0.010 inches. 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing the pin with a diameter of from about 0.014 inches to about 0.030 inches. 8. The method of claim 2 further comprising the acts of providing the tabs with tips and stopping movement of the pin through the plate when the contact surface of the pin is in the same plane as the tips of the tabs so that the pin to plate joint has a low profile with respect to the exit side of the plate. 9. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting the materiel from which the plate is made from the group consisting of: nickel and titanium, and combinations thereof; and selecting the material from which the pin is made from the group consisting of; molybdenum, titanium, stainless steel, niobium, and combinations thereof. 10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the acts of providing the pin and the plate each being of the same material so that the pin and plate fuse together upon heating. 11. A method of joining a plate to a pin, comprising the steps of:a) providing the plate comprising an entry side and an exit side,b) defining a plurality of cutouts in the plate, each cutout radiating from a common geometrical point and wherein each cutout is substantially the same length,c) providing the pin comprising a surrounding side wall extending to a contact end having a contact surface and aligning the contact end of the pin with the plurality of cutouts in the plate and generally at the common geometrical point,d) moving the pin through the plate at the location of the plurality of cutouts and the common geometrical point, thereby causing a plurality of tab members to raise and form at right angles with respect to the exit side of the plate, and stopping movement of the pin through the plate when the contact surface of the pin is recessed with respect to the plurality of tabs members with a plurality of flow spaces thus being defined between the pin and the plate,e) heating and melting the plurality of tab members so that they turn molten and flow into the plurality of flow spaces between the pin and plate and wick over the contact surface of the pin, andf) cooling the molten material between the pin side wall and the plate and that wicked into a cap over the contact surface of the pin, thereby forming a robust pin to plate joint. 12. The method according to claim 11 further comprisingheating with a laser. 13. A method of joining a pin to a plate, comprising the steps of:a) defining a plurality of cutouts in the plate radiating from a common geometric point,b) providing the pin comprising a surrounding side wall extending to a contact end having a contact surface,c) moving the pin through the plurality of cutouts and causing a plurality of tabs to raise from the plate at a plurality of bends, wherein the tabs have tips lying in the same plane,d) stopping movement of the pin through the plate when the contact surface of the pin is coplanar with the plurality of tips, thereby defining a plurality of flow spaces between the pin and the plurality of bends, ande) melting the plurality of tabs so that the resulting molten material flows into the plurality of flow spaces. 14. The method according to claim 13 further comprising the steps of providing the plate with a thickness within the range of about 0.002 inches to about 0.010 inches, and the pin with a diameter of about 0.014 inches to about 0.030 inches. 15. The method according to claim 13 further comprising the steps of selecting the plate from the group consisting of: nickel and titanium, and mixtures thereof; and the pin from the group consisting of: molybdenum, titanium, stainless steel, and niobium, and mixtures thereof. 16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the material from which the plate is made has a melting temperature lower than or equal to the melting temperature of the pin. 17. A method of joining a pin to a plate, comprising the steps of;a) providing the pin,b) defining an arcuate cutout in the plate sized so the pin may pass therethrough in a close fitting relationship,c) moving the pin through the arcuate cutout and raising a curved shaped tab,d) welding the pin to the plate and melting the curved shaped tab, ande) cooling the pin to plate joint. 18. A method for forming a pin to a plate joint, comprising the steps of:a) providing the plate and defining three or more cutouts in the plate, the cutouts radiating from a common geometrical point such that the plate material between the cutouts takes on the form of triangular-shaped tabs,b) moving the pin through the plate from an entry side to the exit side of the plate, and in the process raising the triangular-shaped tabs at substantially right angles to the exit side of the plate, each triangular shaped tab comprising a tip,c) stopping the movement when a contact surface of the pin is substantially flush with the tips of the triangular-shaped tabs,d) laser welding the tabs causing them to melt and flow around the pin, ande) cooling the pin and plate forming a pin to plate joint. 19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the pin and plate are of the same material. 20. A method for forming a pin to a plate joint, comprising the acts of:a) providing the plate and defining a at least one U-shaped cutout in the plate,b) providing the pin comprising a surrounding side wall extending to a contact end having a contact surface,c) moving the pin through the plate from an entry side to an exit side of the plate, and in the process raising the U-shaped tab at substantially a right angle to the exit side of the plate,d) defining flow spaces between the U-shaped tab and the pin,e) providing a means for heating the U-shaped tab and causing it to melt and flow into the spaces between th e pin side wall and the plate and wicking over the contact surface of the pin, andf) cooling the pin and plate to finish farming the pin to plate joint. 21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the plate comprises a thickness of about 0.002 inches to about 0.010 inches and the pin comprises a thickness of about 0.014 inches to about 0.030 inches. 22. A method for providing a pin to plate joint, comprising the steps of:a) providing the plate comprising an entry side, an exit side, and a thickness extending between the entry and exit sides,b) cutting the plate through the thickness thereof and forming a cutout pattern in the plate,c) providing the pin comprising a surrounding side wall extending to a contact end having a contact surface,d) aligning the contact end of the pin with the cutout pattern,e) moving the pin through the cutout pattern in the plate from the entry side to the exit side thereof, the pin forcing on the cutout pattern and causing tabs to raise from the exit side at bends, the tabs orienting at an angle with respect to the exit side of the plate and moving into a closely spaced relationship with the pin side wall, wherein the tabs have tips and the contact end of the pin has a contact surface and stopping movement of the pin through the plate when the contact surface is in the same plane as the tips of the tabs, there being spaces defined between the pin side wall and the plate,f) heating at least one of either the tabs or the pin, thus creating melted tab material that flows into the spaces between the pin side wall and the plate, andg) cooling the melted tab material to thereby form a robust pin to plate joint. 23. A method for providing a pin to plate joint, comprising the steps of:a) providing a plate comprising an entry side, an exit side, and a thickness extending between the entry and exit sides,b) cutting the plate through the thickness thereof and forming a cutout pattern in the plate,c) providing the pin comprising a surrounding side wall extending to a contact end having a contact surface,d) aligning the contact end of the pin with the cutout pattern,e) moving the pin through the cutout pattern in the plate from the entry side to the exit side thereof, the pin forcing on the cutout pattern and causing tabs to raise from the exit side at bends, the tabs orienting at an angle with respect to the exit side of the plate and moving into a closely spaced relationship with the pin side wall, there being spaces defined between the pin side wall and the plate,f) providing the pin and the plate being of the same material and heating at least one of them, thus creating melted tab material that flows into the spaces between the pin side wall and the plate, andg) cooling the melted material to thereby form a robust pin to plate joint. 24. A method of joining a plate to a pin, comprising the steps of:a) providing, the plate comprising an entry side and an exit sideb) defining a plurality of cutouts in the plate, each cutout radiating from a common geometrical point and wherein each cutout is substantially the same length,c) providing the pin comprising a surrounding side wall extending to a contact end having a contact surface and aligning the contact end of the pin with the plurality of cutouts in the plate and generally at the common geometrical point,d) moving the pin completely through the plate at the location of the plurality of cutouts and the common geometrical point, thereby causing a plurality of tab members to raise and form at right angles with respect to the exit side of the plate, and stopping movement of the pin through the plate when the contact surface of the pin extends a distance away from the plurality of tab members with a plurality of flow spaces thus being defined between the pin and the plate,e) heating and melting the plurality of tab members so that they turn molten and flow into the plurality of flow spaces between the pin and plate and forming a ring of melted material about the p in, andf) cooling the ring of molten material, thereby forming a robust pin to plate joint.
