Vehicle body component, manufacturing device of the same, and manufacturing method for the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10710141-B2
Application number	US-201415104178-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2014
Priority date	Dec 27, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

In a vehicle body component, a bent portion that is formed in a component main body made of a metal plate is formed of a thickened portion, in which a plate thickness of the metal plate as a material of the component main body is gradually increased. Just as described, since the bent portion, on which stress is likely to be concentrated when a load is applied to the component main body, is formed of the thickened portion, a plate thickness of a portion where the stress is not concentrated can be prevented from being increased more than necessary. This can contribute to improvement of mass efficiency.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A manufacturing method for a vehicle body component, said vehicle body component comprising a component main body as a part of a vehicle body, the component main body being formed of a metal plate and having a bent portion with a thickened portion where a plate thickness of the metal plate is gradually increased toward a center side in a bent direction of the bent portion, the manufacturing method comprising
holding a metal plate formed with a bent portion, between a first die and a second die, the metal plate having a constant thickness, whereby the first die contacts the metal plate from an outer side in a bent radial direction of the bent portion while the second die contacts the metal plate from an inner side in the bent radial direction of the bent portion and a first gap is formed between the first die and the bent portion, a cross section of the first gap being gradually increased toward a center side in a bent direction of the bent portion;
providing the second die with a slide portion that can increase or reduce a width dimension of a second gap between the second die and the bent portion of the plate having a constant thickness, along the bent radial direction of the bent portion,
pressurizing one side portion of the metal plate to the bent portion side by a movable die in a state that the metal plate is held between the first die and the second die and the width dimension of the second gap is reduced by the slide portion, so as to move a portion of the metal plate to the first gap by plastic flow, the one side portion of the metal plate being adjacent to the bent portion, wherein when pressurizing the one side portion of the metal plate starts so that the portion of the metal plate is moved to the first gap, a width dimension of the first gap that is along the bent radial direction of the bent portion is larger than the width dimension of the second gap that is along the bent radial direction of the bent portion,
continuing to pressurize the one side portion of the metal plate to the bent portion side as the width dimension of the second gap is increased by the slide portion after the portion of the metal plate moves to the first gap by the plastic flow, so as to move a portion of the metal plate to the second gap.

2. The manufacturing method for a vehicle body component according to claim 1 , wherein
the width dimension of the first gap that is along the bent radial direction of the bent portion is gradually increased from one end of the first gap to an apex of the first gap, or the width dimension of the second gap that is along the bent radial direction of the bent portion is gradually increased from one end of the second gap to an apex of the second gap.

3. The manufacturing method for a vehicle body component according to claim 1 , wherein
a cross-sectional shape of the first gap or a cross-sectional shape of the second gap is a crescent shape.

4. The manufacturing method for a vehicle body component according to claim 1 , wherein
a pressure on the one side portion of the metal plate by the movable die is increased after pressurization of the one side portion of the metal plate to the bent portion side by the movable die causes the portion of the metal plate to move to the first gap by the plastic flow.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kosaka Naoya
• Asadachi Hideki
• Yamaguchi Taichi

Classifications

• B62D25/00

  Superstructure {or monocoque structure} sub-units; Parts or details thereof not otherwise provided for {(having impact absorbing means B62D21/15; running-boards, steps, or the like as superstructure sub-unit B60R3/00)} · CPC title

• B21D22/06

  having relatively-movable die parts · CPC title

• B21J5/08

  Upsetting · CPC title

• B21K23/00

  Making other articles · CPC title

• B21D53/88

  other parts for vehicles, e.g. cowlings, mudguards · CPC title