Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D53/00—Making other particular articles
  • B21D53/88—Making other particular articles other parts for vehicles, e.g. cowlings, mudguards
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21C—MANUFACTURE OF METAL SHEETS, WIRE, RODS, TUBES OR PROFILES, OTHERWISE THAN BY ROLLING; AUXILIARY OPERATIONS USED IN CONNECTION WITH METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL
  • B21C23/00—Extruding metal; Impact extrusion
  • B21C23/02—Making uncoated products
  • B21C23/04—Making uncoated products by direct extrusion
  • B21C23/14—Making other products
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21C—MANUFACTURE OF METAL SHEETS, WIRE, RODS, TUBES OR PROFILES, OTHERWISE THAN BY ROLLING; AUXILIARY OPERATIONS USED IN CONNECTION WITH METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL
  • B21C37/00—Manufacture of metal sheets, bars, wire, tubes or like semi-manufactured products, not otherwise provided for; Manufacture of tubes of special shape
  • B21C37/06—Manufacture of metal sheets, bars, wire, tubes or like semi-manufactured products, not otherwise provided for; Manufacture of tubes of special shape of tubes or metal hoses; Combined procedures for making tubes, e.g. for making multi-wall tubes
  • B21C37/08—Making tubes with welded or soldered seams
  • B21C37/0803—Making tubes with welded or soldered seams the tubes having a special shape, e.g. polygonal tubes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B23P—METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS
  • B23P15/00—Making specific metal objects by operations not covered by a single other subclass or a group in this subclass
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R19/00—Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions
  • B60R19/02—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects
  • B60R19/24—Arrangements for mounting bumpers on vehicles
  • B60R19/26—Arrangements for mounting bumpers on vehicles comprising yieldable mounting means
  • B60R19/34—Arrangements for mounting bumpers on vehicles comprising yieldable mounting means destroyed upon impact, e.g. one-shot type
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
  • B62D21/00—Understructures, i.e. chassis frame on which a vehicle body may be mounted
  • B62D21/15—Understructures, i.e. chassis frame on which a vehicle body may be mounted having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body
  • B62D21/152—Front or rear frames

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing energy absorbing structural members having closed cross-sectional configuration, and more particularly to manufacturing of crash boxes in (motor) vehicles, and also the members provided by such method.
• a further object of the present invention is to provide novel energy absorbing structural members exhibiting variations in their wall thickness in the direction of their longitudinal extension comprising integrated additional parts.
• Fig. 1 shows schematically in a perspective view an extruded open shape
• Figs. 2-3 illustrate in a perspective view subsequent steps of material removing and reshaping/folding of the shape
• Fig. 4 shows schematically the formed closed shape member being joined along abutted longitudinally extending folded walls.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of an open shape 1 being conventionally provided by extrusion process, or alternatively by drawing of aluminium alloy material.
• the open shape is extruded with protruding ribs 11 ,12, representing a material buffer for consequent steps of reshaping and so does the thicker wall part 13 extending longitudinally in the extrusion direction as indicated in Figure 1.
• Figure 2 illustrates schematically the second step of the manufacturing method - cutting of excess material from the protruding ribs 11 ,12, thus providing several vertically protruding parts 22,23.
• Figure 3 schematically illustrates a first step in the process of bending/reshaping along the longitudinal extension of the energy absorbing member to be, showing formation of a side wall and top wall where the top wall at the same time provides a joining seam line 31 to be abutted to the corresponding seam line 32 after finishing the bending operation.
• the buffer material from the thicker wall part 33, originally extruded in the longitudinal extrusion direction, is advantageously applied in providing thicker parts situated in front of the formed member and in plan normal to the extruding direction.
• this novel method of manufacturing allows to provide the excess material in areas needed for formation of e.g. fastening flanges, reinforcing ribs etc. as illustrated in Figure 4.
• Figure 4 illustrates schematically in a perspective view the ready folded hollow energy absorption member where the abutted opposing walls 41 ,42 are joined together along the joining line 43, preferentially by the new welding process so-called friction stir welding, resulting in no thermal distortion of the welded member.
• the novel integral one-piece energy member in this particular case a crash box member, is provided with front part 44 exhibiting increased wall thickness. Furthermore, provision of the integrated flanges 45 simplifies construction and facilitates assembling, thus reducing both time and cost of the assembling operations. Additionally several protruding parts can be provided, e.g. the shown attachment flanges 46 integrated with the rear part of the crash box and reinforcing ribs 47 or means for e.g. fastening towing hooks (not shown in the Figure).
• the actual energy absorbing structural member provided by the novel manufacturing method could be a (front/rear) side member in the space frame construction of vehicles.
• the actual energy absorbing structural member provided by the novel manufacturing method could be a (front/rear) side member in the space frame construction of vehicles.
• other cross-sectional configurations than the shown rectangular one can advantageously be provided by means of the novel manufacturing method.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=19911365

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (14)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2000
  • 2000-07-10 NO NO20003555A patent/NO20003555L/no not_active Application Discontinuation
• 2001
  • 2001-07-10 AU AU2001280270A patent/AU2001280270A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-07-10 EP EP01958645A patent/EP1299266A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-07-10 WO PCT/NO2001/000295 patent/WO2002004253A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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