Adjustable twist beam tube forming die

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9884359-B2
Application number	US-201314407589-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2013
Priority date	Jun 15, 2012
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

A die 20 used to form a metal tube into a tubular twist beam part 22 having a U-shaped torsion section 66 is provided. The die 20 includes a punch 44 and side form blocks 34 which simultaneously engage a metal tube and form the metal tube into the tubular twist beam part 22 . The form blocks 34 have a curved profile which depends on the desired profile of the tubular twist beam part 22 to be formed. The die 20 includes horizontal spacer blocks 38 and vertical spacer blocks 32 restricting movement of the punch 44 and form blocks 34 . The spacer blocks 32, 38 can have various different dimensions and can be easily removed and replaced to adjust the closing position of the die 20 and thus form multiple tubular twist beam parts 22 each having a different dimension and different roll rate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An adjustable die for manufacturing tubular twist beam parts, comprising:
an upper half including a punch extending between opposite ends and having a convex profile for engaging a metal tube;
said upper half including a pair of upper cassettes, each upper cassette providing a groove and being disposed along one end of said punch, said grooves of said upper cassettes being axially aligned with one another;
a lower half including a pair of lower cassettes vertically aligned with said upper cassettes, each lower cassette providing a groove, said grooves of said lower cassettes being axially aligned with one another and facing said grooves of said upper cassettes;
said lower half including a pair of form blocks being disposed on opposite sides of said punch for moving toward one another and engaging opposite sides of the metal tube;
said lower half including a pair of side cams; said side cams being disposed on opposite sides of said form blocks and outwardly of said form blocks for pressing said form blocks toward one another and the metal tube;
at least one of a vertical spacer block and a pair of horizontal spacer blocks, wherein said vertical spacer block extends between said upper half and said lower half for restricting movement of said upper half toward said lower half and each of said horizontal spacer blocks are disposed between one of said lower cassettes and the adjacent form block for restricting movement of the adjacent side cam toward said form block; and
wherein said at least one of said vertical spacer block and said pair of horizontal spacer blocks are removable and replaceable with a vertical spacer block and a pair of horizontal spacer blocks of a different dimension; and
wherein said upper half includes a pair of cam drivers, said cam drivers are disposed on opposite sides of said punch, each of said cam drivers presents a first wedge surface angled inwardly and downwardly toward said lower half; each of said side cams includes a second wedge surface facing said first wedge surfaces, said second wedge surfaces are disposed at the same angle as said first wedge surfaces, and said first wedge surfaces engage and push said second wedge surfaces inwardly toward said form blocks when said upper half moves toward said lower half.

2. The adjustable die of claim 1 , wherein said vertical spacer blocks are attached to said lower half and extend upwardly toward said upper half for engaging said upper half and restricting movement of said upper half toward said lower half.

3. The adjustable die of claim 1 , wherein said vertical spacer blocks are attached to said upper half and extend downwardly toward said lower half for engaging said lower half and restricting movement of said upper half toward said lower half.

4. The adjustable die of claim 1 , wherein said vertical spacer block and said horizontal spacer block have dimensions depending on dimensions of the tubular twist beam part to be formed.

5. The adjustable die of claim 1 , wherein said form blocks have a curved profile and face one another.

6. The adjustable die of claim 1 , wherein said vertical spacer block includes an upper portion connected to said upper half and a lower portion connected to said lower half, and said upper portion and said lower portion being aligned with one another and engaging one another when said upper half moves toward said lower half.

7. The adjustable die of claim 1 including a pair of mandrels having a hollow interior, each mandrel being disposed on one of said lower cassettes for being inserted into the ends of the metal tube and preventing the ends of the metal tube from collapsing when said punch engages the metal tube.

Assignees

• Magna Int Inc

Inventors

• Peters Christopher Erik
• Mooney Scott Robert

Classifications

• B60G2206/202

  with a radially deformed tube as a cross member · CPC title

• B60G2200/23

  Trailing arms connected by a U-shaped torsion bar · CPC title

• B60G21/051

  Trailing arm twist beam axles · CPC title

• B21D22/025

  for tubular articles · CPC title

• Y10T29/49622

  Vehicular structural member making · CPC title