Method and press-forming apparatus for manufacturing structural member for automotive body

1. A press-forming apparatus used for manufacturing a structural member for an automotive body, the press-forming apparatus comprising:

a punch having a first end and a second end, an upper surface and a pair of shoulders extending in a longitudinal direction from the first end to the second end, the pair of shoulders being spaced from each other in a lateral direction;

a die spaced from the punch by a first distance in a pressing direction; and

a pad facing the first end of the punch, the punch and the die carrying out press forming while the pad and the punch restraining a forming material made of a steel sheet,

wherein the pad includes a plurality of restraining parts each of the plurality of restraining parts facing a respective shoulder of the punch,

wherein the die and pad are spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction so as not to overlap when viewed in the pressing direction.

2. A press-forming apparatus used for manufacturing a structural member for an automotive body, the structural member extending in a predetermined direction, having a substantially gutter-shaped cross section intersecting the predetermined direction, and including

a gutter bottom,

a ridge continuing to the gutter bottom,

a vertical wall continuing to the ridge, and

an outward continuous flange being continuously formed along at least one end in the predetermined direction, the one end at least including a part of the ridge, a part of the gutter bottom, and a part of the vertical wall,

the press-forming apparatus comprising:

a punch having a first end and a second end, and an upper surface and a pair of shoulders extending from the first end to the second end in a longitudinal direction, the pair of shoulders being spaced from each other in a lateral direction;

a die spaced from the punch by a first distance in a pressing direction; and

a pad facing the first end of the punch, the punch and the die carrying out press forming while the pad and the punch restraining a forming material made of a steel sheet,

wherein the pad includes a plurality of restraining parts each of the plurality of restraining parts facing a respective shoulder of the punch,

wherein the die and pad are spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction so as not to overlap when viewed in the pressing direction.

3. The press-forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the pad leaves at least a part of the end of the portion to be formed into the gutter bottom unrestrained.

4. The press-forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the pad leaves unrestrained the whole portion to be formed into the gutter bottom and at least a part of the portion corresponding to the flange to be formed in the end of the gutter bottom, the part continuing to the portion to be formed into the gutter bottom.

5. The press-forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the pad leaves unrestrained a portion of at least ½ length of a perimeter of a cross section in the end of the portion to be formed into the ridge, the ½ length starting from a border between the portion to be formed into the ridge and the portion to be formed into the gutter bottom.

6. The press-forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein each shoulder has a surface for forming the ridge, and at least a portion of each shoulder corresponding to the end in the predetermined direction has a curvature radius ranging from 2 mm to 45 mm.

7. The press-forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the retraining parts partially extend over the upper surface of the punch,

wherein each restraining part has a distal edge, and

wherein distal edges of the retraining parts extend in the longitudinal direction and are spaced from each other in the lateral direction to form a space therebetween.

8. The press-forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the die covers the pair of shoulders of the punch.

9. The press-forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the punch includes a side wall extending upward from the first end of the punch, and

wherein the pad includes a flange overlying the side wall.

10. The press-forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the pad is spaced from the die a second distance in the pressing direction, the second distance being less than the first distance.

11. A method for manufacturing a structural member for an automotive body by using the press-forming apparatus according to claim 2 , the structural member being formed by pressing the forming material made of the steel sheet, the structural member extending in the predetermined direction, having the substantially gutter-shaped cross section intersecting the predetermined direction, and including

the gutter bottom,

the ridge continuing to the gutter bottom,

the vertical wall continuing to the ridge, and

the outward continuous flange being continuously formed along the at least one end in the predetermined direction, the one end at least including the part of the ridge, the part of the gutter bottom, and the part of the vertical wall,

the method comprising:

a first step in which

the pad presses the forming material against the punch to raise a portion corresponding to a flange to be formed in ends of at least the gutter bottom and the ridge in a direction opposite to the pressing direction, and

the punch and the die carry out press forming to form an intermediate product, while the pad bends an end of a portion to be formed into the ridge in the pressing direction and restrains at least a part of the end, and a region other than an end in a portion to be formed into the gutter bottom remains unrestrained; and

a second step in which

the intermediate product is further pressed to form the structural member for the automotive body.

12. The method for manufacturing a structural member for an automotive body according to claim 11 , wherein at least a part of the end of the portion to be formed into the gutter bottom is unrestrained in the first step.

13. The method for manufacturing a structural member for an automotive body according to claim 11 , wherein the whole portion to be formed into the gutter bottom and at least a part of the portion corresponding to the flange to be formed in the end of the gutter bottom, the part continuing to the portion to be formed into the gutter bottom, remain unrestrained in the first step.

14. The method for manufacturing a structural member for an automotive body according to claim 11 , wherein a portion of at least ½ length of a perimeter of a cross section in the end of the portion to be formed into the ridge, the ½ length starting from a border between the portion to be formed into the ridge and the portion to be formed into the gutter bottom, remains unrestrained in the first step.

15. The method for manufacturing a structural member for an automotive body according to claim 11 , wherein, the punch used in the first step has a shoulder having a surface for forming the ridge, and at least a portion of the shoulder corresponding to the end in the predetermined direction has a curvature radius ranging from 2 mm to 45 mm.

16. The method for manufacturing a structural member for an automotive body according to claim 11 , wherein the steel sheet is a steel sheet of 2.3 mm or more in thickness or a high-tensile steel sheet of 440 MPa or more in tensile strength.