Automobile structural member and manufacturing method of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9902429-B2
Application number	US-201414772537-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2014
Priority date	Apr 4, 2013
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

An automobile structural member ( 2 ) has a closed transverse section shape constituted with a first composing member ( 12 ) and a second composing member ( 13 ). The first composing member ( 12 ) has a vertical wall portion ( 12 c ), a bent portion ( 12 b ), and an inward flange ( 12 a ), and has a load transmission portion ( 20 ) formed in at least a part of a region being a region between the bent portion ( 12 b ) and the second composing member ( 13 ) and being a region of an extension of the vertical wall portion ( 12 c ) toward the second composing member ( 13 ) and which joins the bent portion ( 12 b ) and the second composing member ( 13 ). Thereby, a bending and crushing performance can be improved.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automobile structural member which has a closed transverse section shape constituted with at least a first composing member made of a molded body of a metal sheet and a second composing member made of a metal sheet or a molded body of a metal sheet and joined to the first composing member, the first composing member having a vertical wall portion, a bent portion connected to the vertical wall portion and bent toward an inner side of the closed transverse section shape, and an inward flange connected to the bent portion, the automobile structural member comprising:
a load transmission portion which is formed in at least a part of a region being a region between the bent portion and the second composing member and being a region of an extension of the vertical wall portion toward the second composing member, and which joins the bent portion and the second composing member.

2. The automobile structural member according to claim 1 ,
wherein when a width of the load transmission portion toward a plate thickness direction of the vertical wall portion is indicated as WT and a plate thickness of the vertical wall portion is indicated as t
0.3 t≦WT≦ 1.0 t

is satisfied.

3. The automobile structural member according to claim 1 ,
wherein the load transmission portion is a part of a joining portion filling a part or all of a space formed between the bent portion and the second composing member, and
wherein in the joining portion a joining width being a range in contact with the second composing member is longer than a width of the load transmission portion.

4. The automobile structural member according to claim 1 ,
wherein in the bent portion, hardness of at least a range which the load transmission portion is in contact with is higher than hardness of a base material of the first composing member.

5. The automobile structural member according to claim 1 ,
wherein the load transmission portion is formed intermittently through a longitudinal direction of the automobile structural member.

6. A manufacturing method of an automobile structural member which has a closed transverse section shape constituted with at least a first composing member made of a molded body of a metal sheet and a second composing member made of a metal sheet or a molded body of a metal sheet and joined to the first composing member, the first composing member having a vertical wall portion, a bent portion connected to the vertical wall portion and bent toward an inner side of the closed transverse section shape, and an inward flange connected to the bent portion, the manufacturing method of the automobile structural member comprising:
forming a load transmission portion in at least a part of a region being a region between the bent portion and the second composing member, the region being an extension of the vertical wall portion toward the second composing member, and which joins the bent portion and the second composing member by welding using a filler metal.

7. The manufacturing method of the automobile structural member according to claim 6 ,
wherein the load transmission portion is formed by a plurality of welding operations by using the filler metal.

8. The manufacturing method of the automobile structural member according to claim 7 ,
wherein welding lengths are each different in at least two operations of the plurality of welding operations.

9. The manufacturing method of the automobile structural member according to claim 6 ,
wherein the load transmission portion is a part of a joining portion filling a part or all of a space formed between the bent portion and the second composing member,
wherein the load transmission portion is formed by a plurality of welding operations by using the filler metal, and
wherein in the first welding operation, welding is carried out so that a width WT of the load transmission portion satisfies WT<0.6t and a joining width L being a range in which the joining portion is in contact with the second composing member satisfies 0<L, and
wherein in the second or later welding operation, welding is carried out so that the width WT of the load transmission portion satisfies 0.6t≦WT≦1.0t.

10. The manufacturing method of the automobile structural member according to claim 6 ,
wherein the load transmission portion is formed intermittently through a longitudinal direction of the automobile structural member.

11. The manufacturing method of the automobile structural member according to claim 6 ,
wherein the load transmission portion is formed by arc welding or laser-arc hybrid welding by using the filler metal.

Assignees

• Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp

Inventors

• Okada Tohru
• Yasuyama Masanori
• Sakamoto Teruki
• Imamura Takashi

Classifications

• B62D29/007

  predominantly of special steel or specially treated steel, e.g. stainless steel or locally surface hardened steel · CPC title

• B62D25/00 Primary

  Superstructure {or monocoque structure} sub-units; Parts or details thereof not otherwise provided for {(having impact absorbing means B62D21/15; running-boards, steps, or the like as superstructure sub-unit B60R3/00)} · CPC title

• B23K26/22

  Spot welding · CPC title

• B62D21/15 Primary

  having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body (bumpers B60R19/02; shock absorbers in general F16F) · CPC title

• B62D25/04

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title