Reinforcement for a vehicle structural member and method for manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11840280-B2
Application number	US-201917257790-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2019
Priority date	Jul 4, 2018
Publication date	Dec 12, 2023
Grant date	Dec 12, 2023

Abstract

A reinforcement for a vehicle structural member, includes a top wall, and opposite lateral walls extending from opposite edges of the top wall. At least one of the lateral walls includes a flat surface portion for mounting an additional vehicle part. The flat surface portion has an edge forward in a press direction in which the reinforcement is pressed, the edge being curved and convex in the press direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A reinforcement for a vehicle structural member, comprising:
a top wall, and
opposite lateral walls extending from opposite edges of the top wall, wherein:
at least one of the lateral walls includes a flat surface portion for mounting an additional vehicle part,
the flat surface portion has an edge forward in a press direction in which the reinforcement is pressed, the edge being curved and convex in the press direction,
the edge is on a vehicle inward side of the reinforcement with the edge being curved and convex toward the vehicle inward side, and
the edge is a terminal edge.

2. The reinforcement according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle structural member is a pillar installed on a side of the vehicle, and the reinforcement is a hinge reinforcement for reinforcing the pillar.

3. The reinforcement according to claim 1 , wherein the additional vehicle part is a striker for locking a vehicle door, and the striker is attached to the flat surface portion.

4. A method of manufacturing a reinforcement for a vehicle structural member according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
press forming the reinforcement with a press forming die, wherein:
the press forming die includes a first die face corresponding to the flat surface portion of the lateral wall and a second die face corresponding to a portion of the lateral wall adjacent to the flat surface portion, and
the first die face is curved and convex forward in the press direction relative to the second die face.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the step of press forming comprises:
drawing the reinforcement with a drawing die, and
unbending the drawn reinforcement with an unbending die,
wherein the press forming die includes the drawing die and the unbending die, and
wherein the drawing die and the unbending die each include the first die face that is curved and convex.

Assignees

• Toyota Tekko Kk

Inventors

• Kosaka Hiroyasu

Classifications

• B62D25/04 Primary

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title

• B21D22/26

  for making peculiarly, e.g. irregularly, shaped articles · CPC title

• B21D53/88

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

• B23K31/125

  Weld quality monitoring · CPC title

• B23K11/11

  Spot welding · CPC title