IP Library Granted Patent US 12673357
Granted Patent B2
US 12673357 · App. 19/287,914 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Method of manufacturing vehicle pillar and press forming die

Inventor: Ayano Tanaka (Sagamihara, JP)
Assignee: TOPRE CORPORATION
B21D53/88B21D22/22B21D22/26B21D35/001B21D47/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12673357
App. No.
19/287,914
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of manufacturing a vehicle pillar includes: a blanking for obtaining a work piece by cutting a material; a drawing for obtaining an intermediate product by forming the work piece, using an upper die and a lower die; and a trimming for removing an unnecessary portion of the intermediate product. In the drawing, both ends of the work piece in a longer side direction are clamped between pressing pads and a punch. Then, in the drawing, both ends of the work piece in a shorter side direction are clamped between blank holders and a die. In the drawing, a center portion of the work piece is clamped between the die and the punch to form the work piece, while the clamping performed by the pressing pads and the punch, and the clamping performed by the blank holders and the die are maintained.

Claims (14)

1 . A method of manufacturing a vehicle pillar including: an upper pillar portion that is coupled to a roof rail, when the vehicle pillar is assembled to a vehicle body; a lower pillar portion that is coupled to a side sill, when the vehicle pillar is assembled to the vehicle body; and a center pillar portion that connects the upper pillar portion and the lower pillar portion, and extends in a height direction of the vehicle body, the method comprising:

a blanking for obtaining a work piece by cutting a material;

a drawing for obtaining an intermediate product by forming the work piece, using an upper die that includes a die and a pair of pressing pads, and a lower die that includes a punch and a pair of blank holders; and

a trimming for removing an unnecessary portion of the intermediate product; wherein

in the drawing, both ends of the work piece in a longer side direction are clamped between the pressing pads and the punch,

then, both ends of the work piece in a shorter side direction are clamped between the blank holders and the die, and

a center portion of the work piece is clamped between the die and the punch to form the work piece, while the clamping performed by the pressing pads and the punch, and the clamping performed by the blank holders and the die are maintained.

2 . The method of manufacturing a vehicle pillar according to claim 1 , wherein

one of the ends of the work piece in the longer side direction, that is clamped between the pressing pads and the punch is a part of a portion to be formed as the upper pillar portion of the vehicle pillar, and

the other of the ends of the work piece in the longer side direction, that is clamped between the pressing pads and the punch is a part of a portion to be formed as the lower pillar portion of the vehicle pillar.

3 . The method of manufacturing a vehicle pillar according to claim 1 , wherein

either one of the ends of the work piece disposed on the lower die in the longer side direction, includes an inclined surface that is inclined downward or upward relative to a horizontal direction,

clamping surfaces for clamping the inclined surface are formed on the pressing pads and the punch that clamp the inclined surface, and

opposing surfaces are formed at outer positions in the horizontal direction of the clamping surfaces formed on the pressing pads and the punch that clamp the inclined surface, the opposing surfaces being inclined in an opposite direction to the inclined surface relative to the horizontal direction.