Multi-strip beam-forming apparatus, method and beam

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9381880-B2
Application number	US-201514692327-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2015
Priority date	Apr 28, 2014
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

A multi-sheet beam includes sheets pre-shaped and/or pre-formed to have integral features and to cause a final beam shape with non-radiused corners and optimal impact properties when assembled, including beams with constant or varied cross sectional shapes. The non-radiused corners offer excellent impact strength over radiused corners. The sheets are selected to have desired (different) thicknesses and material properties for optimal impact results and low beam weight. To assemble, the sheets are fixtured together and welded to form box beam, such as a two-tube monoleg beam, preferably using welding processes having low heat-affected-zones around the weld. The multiple sheets can include grades of aluminum with high tensile strength well above extrudable grades of aluminum. Alternatively, the multiple sheets can be any grade of steel, such as high strength and ultra high strength steels. The fixturing and assembly technique minimizes capital expense on extruding machines and/or roll forming machines.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A reinforcement beam article constructed for impact on a vehicle comprising:
at least three separate elongated metal sheets, at least one of which includes preformed structure thereon, positioned and interconnected to define an elongated tubular beam having a non-linear length and transverse cross sections defining front and rear walls and at least two shear walls connecting the front and rear walls, with at least two of the sheets having edges that abut side surfaces of adjacent others of the sheets to form non-radiused perpendicular welded corners; and
end portions of the tubular beam being configured to facilitate attachment to a vehicle.

2. The reinforcement beam article in claim 1 , wherein the end portions include mounting structure on the end portions for attachment to vehicle bumper mounting structure.

3. The reinforcement beam article in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the metal sheets is a non-extrudable grade of aluminum.

4. The reinforcement beam article in claim 3 , wherein the at least one metal sheet has a tensile strength of at least 120 ksi.

5. The reinforcement beam article in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the metal sheets is a grade of steel having a high tensile strength of at least 190 ksi.

6. The reinforcement beam article in claim 1 , wherein the front wall is non-planar.

7. The reinforcement beam article in claim 6 , wherein the front wall includes at least one channel rib extending longitudinally along the front wall.

8. The reinforcement beam article in claim 1 , wherein at least two of the shear walls are planar.

9. The reinforcement beam article in claim 1 , wherein the front wall includes a center region defining a first curvature and end regions defining a second curvature different than the first curvature.

10. The reinforcement beam article in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front, rear, and shear walls are different from others of the front, rear, and shear walls in thickness, material, tensile strength, or length.

11. The reinforcement beam article in claim 10 , wherein the front wall extends the length of the beam and at least one of the rear and shear walls are shorter than the front wall.

12. The reinforcement beam article in claim 1 , wherein the transverse cross sections define a smaller tubular size at ends of the beam and a larger tubular size at a center of the beam.

13. The reinforcement beam article in claim 1 , wherein the at least two shear walls include three shear walls.

14. The reinforcement beam article in claim 1 , wherein the front wall includes an up flange that extends at least about 1.5 mm above a top one of the shear walls.

15. The reinforcement beam article in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the non-radiused perpendicular welded corners include a heat-affected-zone that extend less than 3 mm from the at least one corner.

16. A beam article comprising:
elongated metal sheets each having an elongated body and opposing edges, the bodies arranged and secured together to form an elongated closed tubular beam having a length with non-constant transverse cross sections along the length, with some of the edges abutting adjacent ones of the bodies to form non-radiused corners, the body of at least one of the sheets being planar.

17. The reinforcement beam article in claim 16 , wherein at least one of the metal sheets is a non-extrudable grade of aluminum.

18. The reinforcement beam article in claim 17 , wherein the at least one metal sheet has a tensile strength of at least 120 ksi.

19. The reinforcement beam article in claim 16 , wherein at least one of the metal sheets is a grade of steel having a high tensile strength of at least 190 ksi.

20. A beam article comprising:
at least two sheets arranged to form a tubular beam having a non-linear length and front and rear walls and at least one non-radiused corner adjacent the front wall and welded using a low heat-affect-zone welding process to have a heat-affect-zone region that, in a transverse cross section through the region, extends transversely less than 3 mm from the at least one non-radiused corner.

Assignees

• Shape Corp

Inventors

• Matecki Joseph R
• Gatti Daniel
• Malkowski Brian

Classifications

• E04C2003/0465

  square- or rectangular-shaped · CPC title

• E04C2003/0413

  being built up from several parts · CPC title

• E04C2003/0439

  the cross-section comprising open parts and hollow parts · CPC title

• B60R19/023 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• B60R2019/1826

  of high-tension steel · CPC title