Method for producing a support structure, preferably a support structure for vehicle seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9393650-B2
Application number	US-75956210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2010
Priority date	Apr 14, 2009
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

A method is provided for producing a support structure, preferably a support structure for a vehicle seat having at least one seat shell for the seat part and/or the backrest of the vehicle seat, having the following method steps of producing a metal semi-finished product and reshaping it into an essentially flat plate, detaching a plate part from the plate, and deforming the plate part, the production of the metal semi-finished product being performed by extrusion. The semi-finished product may be already formed into a flat plate by the extrusion or the extrusion is performed with production of a curved plate, which is subsequently reshaped into a flat plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a support structure for a seat bottom of a vehicle seat, comprising:
extruding a metal semi-finished product through a die having a curved outlet opening of a predetermined thickness to produce a curved plate having a thickness of the predetermined thickness;
roll forming the curved plate into an essentially flat plate;
stamping a plate part out of the essentially flat plate; and
deforming by deep drawing the plate part into a seat shell, the seat shell forming the support structure for the seat bottom of the vehicle seat.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the curved plate is produced with an open cross-section.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the open cross-section is a U-shaped cross-section.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the curved plate is produced with a closed cross-section that is opened in a subsequent step of the method in order to obtain the curved plate having an open cross-section.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined thickness is at most approximately 100% greater than a target plate thickness (ds) of a completed plate part.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined thickness is at most approximately 50% greater than a target plate thickness (ds) of a completed plate part.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined thickness corresponds to a target plate thickness (ds) of a completed plate part.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the roll forming reduces a thickness of the essentially flat plate to a target plate thickness for a completed plate part.

9. The method according to Claim 1 , wherein the deep drawing is a hot forming.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the hot forming is conducted with residual heat from the extrusion.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal semi-finished product is produced from a material having a lower density than steel.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal semi-finished product is produced from a material having a lower density than steel.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal semi-finished product is produced from magnesium or a magnesium alloy.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal semi-finished product is produced from aluminum alloy.

15. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of fastening the seat shell on an component adjacent to the support structure.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:
producing at least one hole within the adjacent component;
situating the seat shell on the adjacent component;
heating the seat shell in an area of the at least one hole to a temperature that is between a first melting temperature of the seat shell and a second melting temperature of the adjacent component.

Assignees

• Maier Jürgen
• Cott Andreas
• Gm Global Tech Operations Inc

Inventors

• Maier Jürgen
• Cott Andreas

Classifications

• B60N2/686

  Panel like structures · CPC title

• B21C23/00

  Extruding metal; Impact extrusion · CPC title

• B21D35/00

  Combined processes according to {or processes combined with} methods covered by groups B21D1/00 - B21D31/00 (B21D21/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23P17/00 Primary

  Metal-working operations, not covered by a single other subclass or another group in this subclass · CPC title

• B21C23/14

  Making other products · CPC title