Vehicle door of armor steel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11548357-B2
Application number	US-202217672366-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2022
Priority date	Feb 19, 2021
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

A vehicle door includes a window frame and a lower surface portion formed jointly with the window frame in one piece from a hot formed and press hardened sheet metal plate which is made of a steel alloy which includes, in weight-%: Carbon 0.33-0.38, Silicon 0.2-0.7, Manganese 0.7-1.2, Phosphorus max. 0.03, Sulfur max. 0.02, Boron 0.002-0.005, Chromium 0.6-1.0, Copper max. 0.12, Nitrogen max. 0.005, Titanium 0.015-0.025, Nickel 1.5-2.0, Molybdenum 0.2-0.6, Tin max. 0.04, and as optional components Aluminum 0.006-0.08, Niobium 0.02-0.05, with a balance being iron and incidental impurities. At least the lower surface portion has a Brinell hardness of 500 to 600 HB and a yield strength of 1,200 to 1,450 MPa, wherein the lower surface portion and/or the window frame has a wall thickness of at least 6 mm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle door, comprising:
a window frame;
a lower surface portion formed jointly with the window frame in one piece from a hot formed and press hardened sheet metal plate, at least the lower surface portion having a Brinell hardness of 500 to 600 HB and a yield strength of 1,200 to 1,450 MPa, wherein at least one of the lower surface portion and the window frame has a wall thickness of at least 6 mm;
a curved zone defined by a radius of curvature sized to be 1 to 3 times the wall thickness; and
a connection zone for a door hinge,
wherein the sheet metal plate is made of a steel alloy which comprises, in weight-%:

Carbon
0.33-0.38

Silicon
0.2-0.7

Manganese
0.7-1.2

Phosphorus
max. 0.03 

Sulfur
max. 0.02 

Boron
0.002-0.005

Chromium
0.6-1.0

Copper
max. 0.12 

Nitrogen
max. 0.005

Titanium
0.015-0.025

Nickel
1.5-2.0

Molybdenum
0.2-0.5

Tin
max. 0.04,

and as optional components

Aluminum
0.006-0.06 

Niobium
0.02-0.05

with a balance being iron and incidental impurities.

2. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the window frame and the lower surface portion has a forming degree through stretching in a range of 5% to 20% and includes a recess produced during forming of the sheet metal plate and defined by a depth in a range from 10 mm to 75 mm.

3. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein a content of carbon in the steel alloy is 0.34 to 0.37 In weight-%.

4. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein the steel alloy has a carbon equivalent Ceq in a range from 0.7 to 0.95 in weight-%.

5. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein the steel alloy has a carbon equivalent Ceq in a range from 0.75 to 0.90 in weight-%.

6. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein a content of manganese in the steel alloy is 0.8 to 1.0 in weight-%.

7. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein a content of chromium in the steel alloy is 0.7 to 0.9 in weight-%.

8. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein a content of nickel in the steel alloy is 1.6 to 1.8 in weight-%.

9. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein a content of molybdenum in the steel alloy is 0.3 to 0.4 in weight-%.

10. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein a content of aluminum in the steel alloy is 0.01 to 0.05 by weight-%.

11. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein a content of niobium in the steel alloy is 0.03 to 0.04 in weight-%.

12. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein the wall thickness is 8 to 11 mm.

13. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein the lower surface portion includes a reinforcing bead.

14. The vehicle door of claim 1 , further comprising a crease line extending between 50% and 80% of a height of the lower surface portion, with the height of the lower surface portion measured from a lower edge of the vehicle door, when installed; wherein the vehicle door is angled along the crease line by 1° to 15°.

15. The vehicle door of claim 14 , wherein the lower surface portion includes a reinforcing bead which extends on both sides of the crease line.

16. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein the window frame is configured to surround an opening in adjoining relation to the lower surface portion.

17. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein the curved zones form collared edges having a depth of at least 10 mm.

18. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein the connection zone for the door hinge is formed on the lower surface portion.

19. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle door has an outer side to define a painted visible side.

20. The vehicle door of claim 1 , further comprising a reinforcing collar welded to at least one of the window frame and the surface portion in facing relation to the opening of the window frame.

Assignees

• Benteler Automobiltechnik Gmbh

Inventors

• Holzweissig Martin
• Klasfauseweh Udo

Classifications

• C22C38/50

  with titanium or zirconium · CPC title

• C22C38/008

  containing tin · CPC title

• C22C38/44

  with molybdenum or tungsten · CPC title

• F41H7/04

  Armour construction (in general F41H5/00) · CPC title

• C22C38/02

  containing silicon · CPC title