Extrusion piece with insert of dissimilar material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10046422-B2
Application number	US-201615099883-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2016
Priority date	May 3, 2013
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A profile piece includes: an extruded piece of a first material having a mouth portion along at least part of its length; and an insert of a second material different than the first material, the insert attached to the extruded piece by the mouth portion, wherein the insert is configured for welding the profile piece to a component of a third material different than the first material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A profile piece comprising:
an extruded piece of a first material having a mouth portion along at least part of its length, the mouth portion comprising jaws that in an open position form a slot between them; and
an insert of a second material different than the first material, the insert attached to the extruded piece by the mouth portion, wherein the insert is configured for welding the profile piece to a component of a third material different than the first material, wherein the insert is fitted in the slot, and wherein in a closed position the jaws grip the insert to attach it to the extruded piece, wherein the mouth portion comprises a channel that receives an edge of the insert.

2. The profile piece of claim 1 , wherein the insert is attached to the channel by an adhesive.

3. The profile piece of claim 1 , wherein the extruded piece comprises aluminum, and the second and third materials comprise steel.

4. The profile piece of claim 1 , wherein the profile piece is a vehicle door sill.

5. The profile piece of claim 1 , wherein the jaws are roller clinched from the open position into the closed position.

6. The profile piece of claim 1 , wherein the mouth portion is formed in a portion of a cross section of the extruded piece where the jaws are initially formed by members arranged in a V-shape with arms extending from the respective members.

7. The profile piece of claim 6 , wherein each of the arms is angled about perpendicular to the respective member.

8. The profile piece of claim 7 , wherein an outer end of each arm is folded back toward a center of the V-shape.

9. The profile piece of claim 8 , wherein each of the outer ends is folded more than ninety degrees relative to a remainder of the arm.

10. The profile piece of claim 8 , wherein the insert is attached by driving at least part of the outer ends into the channel by urging the arms toward the V-shape.

11. The profile piece of claim 10 , wherein the edge of the insert comprises rolled edges extending in opposite directions, and wherein the outer ends are driven into the channel by conforming the rolled edges to a form of the channel.

12. The profile piece of claim 1 , wherein the insert comprises two blades sandwiched together.

13. The profile piece of claim 12 , wherein at the edge of the insert, the end of each of the blades extends outward.

14. The profile piece of claim 13 , wherein the ends of the blades form a shape corresponding to a shape of the channel.

15. The profile piece of claim 1 , wherein before the insert is fitted into the slot, the mouth portion and the jaws form essentially a square shape, and wherein after the insert is fitted into the slot, the mouth portion and the jaws form essentially a triangular shape.

16. The profile piece of claim 15 , wherein after the insert is fitted into the slot the jaws form one side of the triangular shape.

17. The profile piece of claim 16 , wherein after the insert is fitted into the slot the insert is essentially perpendicular to the one side of the triangular shape.

Assignees

• Tesla Motors Inc
• Tesla Inc

Inventors

• Baldwin Michael J

Classifications

• B23K2103/20

  Ferrous alloys and aluminium or alloys thereof · CPC title

• B23K2101/08

  finned or ribbed · CPC title

• C09J5/00

  Adhesive processes in general; Adhesive processes not provided for elsewhere, e.g. relating to primers · CPC title

• B23K11/115

  by means of two electrodes placed opposite one another on both sides of the welded parts · CPC title

• B23K2101/006

  Vehicles · CPC title