Tubular component with an extruded profile

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10994790-B2
Application number	US-201815957196-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2018
Priority date	Apr 20, 2017
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a tubular component for a chassis of a vehicle, wherein the tubular component may include an extruded profile made of an aluminum alloy. The extruded profile may include a rounded extruded profile base and profile walls extending from the rounded extruded profile base and facing one another, wherein the profile walls are curved towards one another to form the tubular component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tubular component for a chassis of a vehicle, comprising:
an extruded profile made of an aluminum alloy, wherein the extruded profile comprises:
a rounded extruded profile base; and
profile walk extending from the rounded extruded profile base and facing one another, wherein the profile walls are curved towards one another to form the tubular component;
wherein the tubular component is a tubular component of a longitudinal support of the chassis, of a transverse support of the chassis, or of a control arm of the chassis.

2. The tubular component according to claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy comprises a hardenable aluminum alloy, and wherein the extruded profile is configured to be deformed at least in sections before a hardening of the hardenable aluminum alloy.

3. The tubular component according to claim 2 , wherein the hardenable aluminum alloy further comprises one or more of: manganese, magnesium, iron, chromium, copper, titanium, silicon, nickel, zinc and beryllium, and wherein the aluminum alloy comprises an aluminum-magnesium-silicon alloy, an aluminum-zinc alloy, or a combination thereof.

4. The tubular component according to claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis of the tubular component extends from a first end of the tubular component to a second end of the tubular component facing away from the first end, wherein a transverse axis of the tubular component extends transversely to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the tubular component is curved around the longitudinal axis the transverse axis, or a combination thereof.

5. The tubular component according to claim 1 , wherein the tubular component comprises a first end and a second end facing away from the first end, wherein the tubular component comprises a first diameter on the first end, wherein the tubular component further comprises a second diameter on the second end, wherein the second diameter is smaller than the first diameter, and wherein the tubular component is formed as a funnel-shaped tubular component.

6. The tubular component according to claim 1 , wherein the tubular component comprises a first end and a second end facing away from the first end, wherein the first end is connected to the second end by a connecting section, wherein the connecting section comprises a connection diameter, wherein the tubular component further comprises a first diameter on the first end, wherein the tubular component comprises a second diameter on the second end, wherein the connection diameter is greater than the first diameter and the second diameter.

7. The tubular component according to claim 1 , wherein the extruded profile comprises at least one bulge, and wherein the at least one bulge is disposed on the extruded profile base, on at least one of the profile walls, or a combination thereof.

8. The tubular component according to claim 1 , wherein at least one web, bead, thickening, or some combination thereof, is arranged on an inner side, outer side, or a combination thereof, of the extruded profile, and wherein the web, the bead, the thickening, or some combination thereof extends at least in sections along a longitudinal axis of the tubular component.

9. The tubular component according to claim 1 , wherein the profile walls comprise a first profile wall with a first profile margin and a second profile wall with a second profile margin, wherein the first profile wall and the second profile wall face one another and are curved towards one another, and wherein first profile margin is welded to the second profile margin to form the tubular component.

10. The tubular component according to claim 1 , wherein the profile walls comprise a first profile wall and a second profile wall that face one another and are curved towards one another, wherein the first profile wall comprises a recess extending along a longitudinal axis of the tubular component, and wherein a protrusion of the second profile wall extends along the longitudinal axis of the tubular component, wherein the protrusion of the second profile wall is inserted into the recess to form the tubular component.

11. The tubular component according to claim 1 , wherein the extruded profile is formed as a tube wall that delimits an inner space of the tubular component, wherein the tube wall is arranged completely circumferentially around an interior space of the tubular component.

12. A method for producing a tubular component for a chassis of a vehicle, comprising:
inserting a U-shaped extruded profile made of an aluminum alloy into a forming tool, wherein the U-shaped extruded profile comprises a first profile margin and a second profile margin that face one another; and
bringing together the first profile margin and the second profile margin by curving in the forming tool to obtain the tubular component;
wherein the tubular component is a tubular component of a longitudinal support of the chassis, of a transverse support of the chassis, or of a control arm of the chassis.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein, after the insertion of the U-shaped extruded profile into the forming tool, the method further comprises:
bending the U-shaped extruded profile in the forming tool transversely to a longitudinal axis of the extruded profile to obtain an arc-shaped extruded profile; and
bringing together the first profile margin and the second profile margin of the arc-shaped extruded profile by curving in the forming tool to obtain a curved tubular component.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the bending, curving, or a combination thereof, in the forming tool is carried out by several curving steps, wherein the bending, curving, or the combination thereof, is interrupted after each curving step.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein before the insertion of the U-shaped extruded profile into the forming tool, the method further comprises:
two-sided cutting of a closed extruded profile made of the aluminum alloy with a cutting tool to obtain the U-shaped extruded profile with the first profile margin and the second profile margin that face one another.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the first and second profile margins, produced during the two-sided cutting of the closed extruded profile, extend from a first end of the extruded profile to a second end of the extruded profile facing the first end, in each case extending diagonally with respect to a longitudinal axis of the U-shaped extruded profile, and wherein the tubular component obtained after the bringing together the first profile margin and the second profile margin tapers from the first end of the tubular component to the second end of the tubular component.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the first and second profile margins, produced during the two-sided cutting of the closed extruded profile, extend from a first end of the extruded profile to a second end of the extruded profile facing the first end, in each case extending in a wavy pattern with respect to a longitudinal axis of the U-shaped extruded profile, and wherein the tubular component obtained during the bringing together the first profile margin and the second profile margin comprises a bulge in the extruded profile of the tubular component.

18. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the bringing together the first profile margin and the second profile margin further comprises welding the first profile margin to the second profile margin to obtain the tubular component.

19. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the extruded p

Assignees

• Benteler Automobiltechnik Gmbh

Inventors

• Smatloch Christian

Classifications

• B21D5/015

  for making tubes · CPC title

• B62D21/02

  comprising longitudinally or transversely arranged frame members · CPC title

• C22F1/05

  of alloys of the Al-Si-Mg type, i.e. containing silicon and magnesium in approximately equal proportions · CPC title

• B21D39/02

  of sheet metal by folding, e.g. connecting edges of a sheet to form a cylinder · CPC title

• B21C37/0803

  the tubes having a special shape, e.g. polygonal tubes · CPC title