IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,571,122
Granted Patent B2
US 12,571,122 · App. 18/012,719 · Granted Mar 10, 2026

Automotive crashworthiness energy absorption part, and method for manufacturing automotive crashworthiness energy absorption part

Inventors: Kazuhiko Higai (Tokyo, JP); Tsuyoshi Shiozaki (Tokyo, JP); Yoshikiyo Tamai (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
C25D13/14B62D21/152
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,571,122
App. No.
18/012,719
Granted
Mar 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An automotive crashworthiness energy absorption part includes a tubular member formed by using a hat-shaped section part including a top portion and a side-wall portion; a coating part made of a material having a lower strength than the tubular member, the coating part being arranged on outer surfaces of the top portion and the side-wall portion at a portion including a corner portion configured to connect the top portion and the side-wall portion, with a gap of 0.2 mm or more and 3 mm or less from the outer surface of the top portion, the outer surface of the side-wall portion, and an outer surface of the corner portion; and a coating film of an electrodeposition paint formed in the gap.

Claims (8)

1 . An automotive crashworthiness energy absorption part for being provided in a front portion or a rear portion of an automotive body, the automotive crashworthiness energy absorption part being axially crushed when a crashworthiness load is input from a front side or a rear side of the automotive body to absorb crashworthiness energy, and comprising:

a tubular member formed by using a hat-shaped section part including a top portion and a side-wall portion;

a coating part made of a material having a lower strength than the tubular member, the coating part being arranged on outer surfaces of the top portion and the side-wall portion at a portion including a corner portion configured to connect the top portion and the side-wall portion, with a gap of 0.2 mm or more and 3 mm or less from the outer surface of the top portion, the outer surface of the side-wall portion, and an outer surface of the corner portion; and

a coating film of an electrodeposition paint formed in the gap by electrodeposition coating with a flexible coating film for an inner sheet,

wherein the electrodeposition paint is one of: a polyurethane cationic electrodeposition paint; an epoxy cationic electrodeposition paint; a urethane cationic electrodeposition paint; an acrylic anionic electrodeposition paint; and a fluororesin electrodeposition paint.

2 . A method for manufacturing an automotive crashworthiness energy absorption part provided in a front portion or a rear portion of an automotive body, the automotive crashworthiness energy absorption part being axially crushed when a crashworthiness load is input from a front side or a rear side of the automotive body to absorb crashworthiness energy, the method comprising:

a part manufacturing step of manufacturing a pre-coated part including: a tubular member formed by using a hat-shaped section part including a top portion and a side-wall portion; and a coating part made of a material having a lower strength than the tubular member, the coating part being arranged on an outer surface of the tubular member at a portion including a corner portion configured to connect the top portion and the side-wall portion, with a gap of 0.2 mm or more and 3 mm or less from an outer surface of the top portion, an outer surface of the side-wall portion, and an outer surface of the corner portion; and

a coating step of forming a coating layer on a surface of the pre-coated part including the gap by an electrodeposition coating process by electrodeposition coating while the pre-coated part is immersed into an electrodeposition paint that is flexible paint to electrically conduct in a state where the pre-coated part is attached to the automotive body, and forming a coating film by thermosetting the coating layer by paint baking treatment subsequent to the electrodeposition coating process, the coating layer being made of one of: a polyurethane cationic electrodeposition paint; an epoxy cationic electrodeposition paint; a urethane cationic electrodeposition paint; an acrylic anionic electrodeposition paint; and a fluororesin electrodeposition paint.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 23, 2022
From: HIGAI, KAZUHIKO; SHIOZAKI, TSUYOSHI; TAMAI, YOSHIKIYO
To: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 062194/0287 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-137778 · Aug 18, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230257899A1 · Aug 17, 2023
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