Tube-member-forming method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11123784-B2
Application number	US-201816628855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2018
Priority date	Jul 12, 2017
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

A coil unit is inserted into a tube member, an electromagnetic-forming coil part is arranged at a tube member forming position, a coil-side terminal is connected to a power-supply-side terminal of an end part of a high-voltage power supply cable, the electromagnetic-forming coil part is energized by a power supply part to electromagnetically form the tube member, the coil-side terminal and the power-supply-side terminal are separated, and the coil unit is removed from the tube member. Thus, the tube member can be separated from the high-voltage power supply cable during transport.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tube-member-forming method comprising, in the following order:
inserting a bar-shaped coil unit having an electromagnetic-forming coil portion into a tube member from a distal part of the coil unit;
positioning the electromagnetic-forming coil portion at a forming position of the tube member;
connecting a coil-side terminal and a power-side terminal to each other, the coil-side terminal being provided in a proximal part of the coil unit and being electrically continuous with the electromagnetic-forming coil portion, the power-side terminal being provided at an end of a power cable extending from a power source;
electromagnetically forming the tube member by supplying a current from the power source to the electromagnetic-forming coil portion;
separating the coil-side terminal and the power-side terminal from each other; and
removing the coil unit from the tube member,
wherein the coil-positioning step is performed by moving the coil unit such that the electromagnetic-forming coil portion is positioned among a plurality of different positions of the tube member, and
wherein the terminal-connecting step, the forming step, and the terminal-separating step are performed at each of the different positions.

2. The tube-member-forming method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the coil-side terminal and the power-side terminal each have a plate shape, and the terminal-connecting step is performed by stacking the coil-side terminal and the power-side terminal one on top of the other to be fixed.

3. The tube-member-forming method according to claim 2 , further comprising, after the separating:
transporting the tube member and the coil unit from a current processing stage to a next processing stage, with the coil unit being placed in the tube member,
wherein the positioning, the connecting, the forming, and the separating are performed again in that order on a next processing stage.

4. The tube-member-forming method according to claim 1 , further comprising, after the separating:
transporting the tube member and the coil unit from a current processing stage to a next processing stage, with the coil unit being placed in the tube member,
wherein the positioning, the connecting, the forming, and the separating are performed again in that order on a next processing stage.

5. A tube-member-forming method comprising, in the following order:
inserting a bar-shaped coil unit having an electromagnetic-forming coil portion into a tube member from a distal part of the coil unit;
positioning the electromagnetic-forming coil portion at a forming position of the tube member;
connecting a coil-side terminal and a power-side terminal to each other, the coil-side terminal being provided in a proximal part of the coil unit and being electrically continuous with the electromagnetic-forming coil portion, the power-side terminal being provided at an end of a power cable extending from a power source;
electromagnetically forming the tube member by supplying a current from the power source to the electromagnetic-forming coil portion;
separating the coil-side terminal and the power-side terminal from each other;
transporting the tube member and the coil unit from a current processing stage to a next processing stage, with the coil unit being placed in the tube member; and
removing the coil unit from the tube member,
wherein the positioning, the connecting, the forming, and the separating are performed again in that order on a next processing stage.

Assignees

• Kobe Steel Ltd
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Imamura Yoshihaya
• SUGISAKI Takayoshi
• Imai Chieko

Classifications

• B21D26/14 Primary

  applying magnetic forces · CPC title

• Y10T29/49803

  Magnetically shaping · CPC title

• B21D39/08

  Tube expanders · CPC title

• B21D39/06

  of tubes in openings, e.g. rolling-in · CPC title