Method for producing a body part of a vehicle and body part of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9731382-B2
Application number	US-201414340239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2014
Priority date	Apr 3, 2009
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A method is provided for producing a body part of a vehicle. The method includes, but is not limited to providing a first profile part with at least one first welding flange and with a first opening as well as a second profile part with at least one third welding flange. The welding flange is at least partially arranged on the third welding flange subject to the formation of an at least partially closed form of the body part. The first welding flange and the third welding flange are arranged within the at least partially closed form. A first laser beam is guided through the first opening onto the first welding flange subject to the formation of at least one first laser weld seam between the first welding flange and the third welding flange.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A body part of a vehicle, comprising:
a first profile part with a first portion, at least one first welding flange adjacent the first portion, and a first opening formed in the first portion, wherein the at least one first welding flange forms a first U-shaped profile with the first portion;
a second profile part with a second portion and at least one third welding flange adjacent the second portion such that the at least one third welding flange and the second portion form a second U-shaped profile;
wherein the at least one first welding flange is arranged at least partially on the at least one third welding flange subject to form an at least partially closed form of the body part between the first profile part and the second profile part,
wherein the at least one first welding flange and the at least one third welding flange are arranged within the at least partially closed form;
wherein the first opening is adapted to guide a first laser beam through the first opening onto the at least one first welding flange within the at least partially closed form of the body part; and
at least one first laser weld seam joining the at least one first welding flange and the at least one third welding flange and formed by the first laser beam guided through the first opening,
wherein the first U-shaped profile is formed by a first leg and a second leg, the first opening being on the first leg and the first welding flange forming the second leg.

2. The body part according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle and the first profile part is part of an A-pillar of the motor vehicle.

3. The body part according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle and the second profile part is part of an A-pillar of the motor vehicle.

4. The body part according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first U-shaped profile and the second U-shaped profile has an open end in a common direction within the at least partially closed form of the body part.

5. The body part according to claim 1 , wherein a first laser weld seam of the at least one first laser weld seam extends in a straight line.

6. The body part according to claim 1 , wherein a first laser weld seam of the at least one first laser weld seam extends in a curved line.

Assignees

• Klein Thomas
• Lungershausen Dirk
• Hulbert Juergen
• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Klein Thomas
• Lungershausen Dirk
• Hulbert Juergen

Classifications

• B23K2101/006

  Vehicles · CPC title

• B23K33/008 Primary

  for automotive applications · CPC title

• B62D25/04

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title

• Y10T29/49622

  Vehicular structural member making · CPC title

• B23K26/26

  of rectilinear seams · CPC title