Door beam, door beam attachment structure, and method for manufacturing door beam

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10486511-B2
Application number	US-201615750639-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2016
Priority date	Aug 6, 2015
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A door beam including an inner flange extending in a longitudinal direction, an outer flange extending in the longitudinal direction and facing the inner flange at a distance from the inner flange, and-a pair of webs connecting the inner flange and the outer flange. The inner flange has an end portion in the longitudinal direction which is made closer to an end portion of the outer flange such that the distance between the inner and outer flanges at the end portions is shorter than the distance at other portions of the inner and outer flanges.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A door beam, comprising:
an inner flange extending in a longitudinal direction;
an outer flange extending in the longitudinal direction and facing the inner flange at a distance from the inner flange; and
a pair of webs connecting the inner flange and the outer flange,
wherein the inner flange has an end portion in the longitudinal direction which is made closer to an end portion of the outer flange such that the distance between the inner and outer flanges at the end portions is shorter than the distance at other portions of the inner and outer flanges.

2. A door, comprising:
an inner panel;
an outer panel; and
the door beam of claim 1 positioned between the inner panel and the outer panel,
wherein the door beam of claim 1 is positioned such that the outer flange faces the outer panel and has the longitudinal direction directed in an anteroposterior direction of a vehicle body, and that the end portion of the inner flange is fixed to the inner panel.

3. A method for manufacturing a door beam, comprising:
preparing an aluminum alloy extrusion including an inner flange extending in a longitudinal direction, an outer flange extending in the longitudinal direction and facing the inner flange at a distance from the inner flange, and a pair of webs connecting the inner and outer flanges; and
shaping the aluminum allow extrusion such that an end portion of the inner flange in the longitudinal direction is made closer to an end portion of the outer flange, and that the distance between the inner and outer flanges at the end portions is made shorter than the distance at other portions of the inner and outer flanges.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the preparing of the aluminum alloy extrusion produces the aluminum alloy extrusion having the inner and outer flanges parallel to each other, and the pair of webs being directed perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the shaping comprises pressing the end portion of the inner flange toward the end portion of the outer flange.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the shaping comprises pressing the end portion of the inner flange toward the end portion of the outer flange.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the shaping is performed such that the pair of webs deforms outwardly in a curved shape.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the shaping is performed such that the pair of webs deforms outwardly in a curved shape.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the shaping is performed such that the pair of webs deforms outwardly in a curved shape.

10. The method of claim 3 , wherein the inner and outer flanges each have a uniform thickness.

11. The method of claim 4 , wherein the inner and outer flanges each have a uniform thickness.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the inner and outer flanges each have a uniform thickness.

13. The door beam of claim 1 , wherein the inner and outer flanges each have a uniform thickness.

14. The door beam of claim 1 , wherein the pair of webs is directed perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

15. The door beam of claim 13 , wherein the pair of webs is directed perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

16. The door beam of claim 1 , wherein the pair of webs is curved outwardly away from each other.

17. The door beam of claim 13 , wherein the pair of webs is curved outwardly away from each other.

18. The door of claim 2 , wherein the inner and outer flanges each have a uniform thickness.

19. The door of claim 18 , wherein the pair of webs is directed perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

20. The door of claim 18 , wherein the pair of webs is curved outwardly away from each other.

Assignees

• Kobe Steel Ltd

Inventors

• Shimoaka Shingo
• Hashimoto Narikazu
• Tsuyoshi Tsunetake

Classifications

• B60J5/0444 Primary

  characterised by a special cross section · CPC title

• B60J5/0483

  lightweight metal, e.g. aluminum, magnesium · CPC title

• B60J5/0437

  characterised by the attachment means to the door, e.g. releasable attachment means · CPC title

• B60J5/0443 Primary

  Beams · CPC title

• B60J5/00

  Doors (B60J10/00 takes precedence; window aspects B60J1/00 {; side board or tailgate structures for open load compartments B62D33/023}) · CPC title