Heat treatment apparatus
US-2016377346-A1 · Dec 29, 2016 · US
Method and apparatus for thermally treating an aluminium workpiece and aluminium workpiece
US9677161B2 · US · B2
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Publication number | US-9677161-B2 |
| Application number | US-201514663661-A |
| Country | US |
| Kind code | B2 |
| Filing date | Mar 20, 2015 |
| Priority date | Sep 27, 2012 |
| Publication date | Jun 13, 2017 |
| Grant date | Jun 13, 2017 |
How to read this patent
A practical reading order for non-experts. Skip the full description unless you need deep technical detail.
- Title
What the patent document calls the invention.
- Abstract
A short plain-language summary of the technical disclosure.
- Assignees and inventors
Who owns or filed the patent and who is credited as inventor.
- Key dates
Filing, priority, publication, and grant dates set the timeline.
- First independent claim
The legal scope of protection — read this for what is actually claimed.
- CPC / IPC classifications
Technology tags used to group this patent with similar filings.
- Citations and related patents
Prior art links and similar publications in this corpus.
Abstract
Official abstract text for this publication.
The invention relates to a method for thermally treating an aluminium workpiece, comprising the steps of providing an aluminium workpiece, which is essentially in the T 4 structural state, and exposing a first portion of the workpiece to a first precipitation hardening process by artificial ageing to change the structural state of the first portion of the workpiece, wherein a part of the workpiece is actively cooled during the first precipitation hardening process, so that a second portion of the workpiece essentially remains in the same structural state during the first precipitation hardening process. The invention further relates to an apparatus for thermally treating an aluminium workpiece and to an aluminium workpiece, especially producible with a method according to the invention.
First claim
Opening claim text (preview).
The invention claimed is: 1. A method for thermally treating an aluminium workpiece, comprising the steps of providing an aluminium workpiece, which is in the T 4 structural state, and exposing a first portion of the workpiece to a first precipitation hardening process by artificial ageing to change the structural state of the first portion of the workpiece, wherein a part of the workpiece is actively cooled during the first precipitation hardening process to prevent a second portion of the workpiece from being directly heated and/or being indirectly heated by heat transfer from the first portion to a second portion of the workpiece, so that the second portion of the workpiece remains in the same structural state during the first precipitation hardening process, the second portion enclosing a part of the workpiece that is not directly cooled but separated from the first portion by the actively cooled part of the workpiece. 2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises a step of exposing the workpiece to a second precipitation hardening process by artificial ageing to change the structural state of the first and the second portion of the workpiece. 3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein after the first and the second precipitation hardening processes the first portion of the workpiece is in the T 7 structural state and the second portion of the workpiece is in the T 6 structural state. 4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a second precipitation hardening process is carried out after the first precipitation hardening process. 5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first precipitation hardening process is carried out after a second precipitation hardening process. 6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the aluminium workpiece is made from an AA 2XXX or an AA 6XXX or an AA 7XXX aluminium alloy. 7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a second precipitation hardening process is a paint baking step. 8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the aluminium workpiece is made from AA 6070, AA 6082 or AA 6009.
Assignees
Inventors
Classifications
of aluminium or alloys based thereon · CPC title
Alloys based on aluminium · CPC title
Modified aluminium-silicon alloys · CPC title
- C21D9/0062Primary
Heat-treating apparatus with a cooling or quenching zone · CPC title
predominantly of light alloys, e.g. extruded · CPC title
Patent family
Related publications grouped by family.
External sources
Frequently asked questions
Answers are generated from the same data shown on this page.
- What does patent US9677161B2 cover?
- The invention relates to a method for thermally treating an aluminium workpiece, comprising the steps of providing an aluminium workpiece, which is essentially in the T 4 structural state, and exposing a first portion of the workpiece to a first precipitation hardening process by artificial ageing to change the structural state of the first portion of the workpiece, wherein a part of the workp…
- Who is the assignee on this patent?
- Miller-Jupp Simon, Hydro Aluminium Rolled Prod
- What technology area does this patent fall under?
- Primary CPC classification C21D9/0062. Mapped technology areas include Chemistry & Metallurgy.
- When was this patent published?
- Publication date Tue Jun 13 2017 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
- What related patents are in patentsdb?
- We list 8 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).