Transverse strut and method of forming a transverse strut

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9527120-B2
Application number	US-201314375217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2013
Priority date	Feb 1, 2012
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A roll forming assembly for forming a transverse strut from a tube is provided. The roll forming assembly includes a heater, such as an induction heater, for heating a tube to a predetermined annealing temperature. Next, the tube is fed to a roll former, which includes a plurality of forming wheels to shape the tube into a transverse strut. Servo motors are operably coupled to the forming wheels for adjusting the positions of the forming wheels in a radial direction during the roll forming process to give the transverse strut a variable profile along its length. After the roll forming process is completed, the transverse strut is quenched so that its base material is given a predetermined microstructure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A roll forming assembly for forming a tube into a transverse strut, comprising:
a heater for heating the tube to a predetermined temperature;
a roll former including a plurality of forming wheels for deforming the tube, at least one of said forming wheels having a non-complementary shape to the tube for changing a cross-sectional shape of the tube along at least a portion of the length of the tube, and said plurality of forming wheels including two pairs of forming wheels with said forming wheels in each pair opposing one another;
an actuator operably coupled to at least one of said forming wheels of said roll former and configured to move the associated of said forming wheels in a radial direction to deform the tube into a transverse strut having a variable cross-sectional shape along the length of the transverse strut; and
one of said forming wheels in at least one of said pairs having a convex rolling surface and the other of said forming wheels in the respective pair having a concave rolling surface such that operation of said actuator results in a portion of the transverse strut having a double walled and U-shaped cross-sectional shape.

2. The roll forming assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of said forming wheels is non-cylindrical.

3. The roll forming assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a quenching bath for cooling the transverse strut after being shaped by said roll former.

4. The roll forming assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said heater is an induction heater.

5. The roll forming assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality of forming wheels of roll former includes a top forming wheel, a bottom forming wheel, and a pair of side forming wheels.

6. The roll forming assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuator is operably coupled with said at least one forming wheel via at least one ball screw.

7. The roll forming assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a controller configured to control said actuator to form transverse struts having different configurations.

8. A method of forming a transverse strut from a tube, comprising the steps of:
roll forming the tube with two pairs of opposing forming wheels to shape the tube, wherein at least one of the forming wheels has a non-complementary shape to the tube, and wherein one of the forming wheels in at least one of the pairs has a convex rolling surface and the other of the forming wheels in the respective pair has a concave rolling surface; and
adjusting the position of at least one of the forming wheels in a radial direction with an actuator during the roll forming of the tube to change the cross-sectional shape of the tube along a length of the tube to give the transverse strut a variable profile along the length and wherein the concave and convex rolling surfaces of one of the pairs of forming wheels deforms a portion of the transverse strut into a double walled and U-shaped cross-sectional shape.

9. The method of forming a transverse strut as set forth in claim 8 further including the step of heating the tube to a predetermined temperature before the step of roll forming the tube.

10. The method of forming a transverse strut as set forth in claim 9 further including the step of quenching the transverse strut after the step of roll forming the tube.

11. The method of forming a transverse strut as set forth in claim 8 wherein the adjusting step is further defined as adjusting the position of at least one roll forming wheel to from a first position spaced from another of the forming wheels by a predetermined distance to a second position being spaced from the other of the forming wheels by a lesser distance to form a pocket in the transverse strut.

12. The method of forming a transverse strut as set forth in claim 8 wherein the actuator adjusts the position of at least one of the forming wheels via a ball screw connection.

13. The method of forming a transverse strut as set forth in claim 12 further including the step of heating the tube with an induction heater.

14. The method of forming a transverse strut as set forth in claim 8 wherein at least one of the forming wheels has a non-cylindrical shape.

15. The method of forming a transverse strut as set forth in claim 8 wherein the roll forming step forms a transverse strut having a pair of end sections having generally cylindrical shapes and a pocket disposed between said end sections.

Assignees

• Potocki John Richard
• Magna Int Inc

Inventors

• Potocki John Richard

Classifications

• B21D53/88

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

• B60G21/051

  Trailing arm twist beam axles · CPC title

• B60G2206/012

  Hollow or tubular elements · CPC title

• B21B1/095 Primary

  U-or channel sections · CPC title

• B60G2206/8109

  by rolling · CPC title