IP Library Granted Patent US 9,902,429
Granted Patent B2
US 9,902,429 · App. 14/772,537 · Granted Feb 27, 2018

Automobile structural member and manufacturing method of the same

Inventors: Tohru Okada (Tokyo, JP); Masanori Yasuyama (Tokyo, JP); Teruki Sakamoto (Tokyo, JP); Takashi Imamura (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
B62D21/15B23K26/22B23K31/02B62D25/00B62D29/007B62D29/008B23K2201/006B62D25/025B62D25/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,902,429
App. No.
14/772,537
Granted
Feb 27, 2018
Kind
B2
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.

Claims (28)

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.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 14, 2019
From: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
To: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 049257/0828 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 4, 2015
From: OKADA, TOHRU; YASUYAMA, MASANORI; SAKAMOTO, TERUKI; IMAMURA, TAKASHI
To: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036493/0878 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2013-078835 · Apr 4, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160016610A1 · Jan 21, 2016