Granted Patent B2

US 7,210,323 · App. 10/737,501 · Granted May 1, 2007

Abstract

Claims (33)

1. A method of forming a component from a sheet material blank, said method comprising:

placing said sheet material blank between a first binder and a second binder apparatus, said second binder apparatus having stationary binder segments and further having movable binder segments that are movable with respect to said stationary binder segments, said second binder apparatus circumscribing a form die having a forming surface for the forming of said sheet material;

moving said first binder toward said second binder apparatus to initially bend said sheet material blank into substantial conformity with said movable binder segments of said second binder apparatus; and

further moving said first binder so as to displace said movable binder segments, thereby subsequently bending said sheet material blank into substantial conformity with said stationary binder segments of said second binder apparatus, and thereby bending said sheet material blank over said forming surface of said a form die.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

pre-heating said sheet material blank to a superplastic forming temperature before said placing step; and

applying fluid pressure against an upper surface of said sheet material blank to hot blow form said sheet material blank over said forming surface of said form die.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said moving step includes providing said movable binder segments with contoured surfaces having substantially similar shapes.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein said further moving step includes providing said stationary binder segments with contoured surfaces having dissimilar shapes.

5. A binder apparatus for minimizing wrinkling in the forming of a substantially three-dimensional component from a substantially two-dimensional blank, said binder apparatus comprising:

laterally opposed stationary binder segments; and

movable binder segments that are movable with respect to said stationary binder segments, said movable binder segments being mounted to at least one cradle supported by at least two alignment devices and upwardly biased by at least two cushion devices.

6. The binder apparatus as recited in claim 5 , wherein each of said movable binder segments are individually mounted to two separate cradles so as to be individually movable with respect to one another.

7. The binder apparatus as recited in claim 5 , wherein said movable binder segments are biased in an upward direction with respect to said laterally opposed stationary binder segments.

8. The binder apparatus as recited in claim 7 , wherein said stationary binder segments include crest portions and said movable binder segments include end portions that are elevated with respect to said crest portions when said movable binder segments are substantially fully elevated with respect to said stationary binder segments.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 5 , wherein said contoured surfaces of said stationary binder segments are dissimilar.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 5 , wherein said contoured surfaces of said movable binder segments are substantially similar.

11. A forming apparatus for minimizing wrinkling in the forming of a substantially three-dimensional component from a substantially two-dimensional blank, said forming apparatus comprising:

a first binder adapted for clamping said blank;

a form die mounted in opposed relation with respect to said first binder; and

a second binder apparatus adapted for clamping said blank and substantially circumscribing said form die, said second binder apparatus comprising:

stationary binder segments; and

movable binder segments that are movable with respect to said stationary binder segments.

12. The forming apparatus as recited in claim 11 , wherein said movable binder segments are mounted to at least one cradle supported by at least two alignment devices and upwardly biased by at least two cushion devices.

13. The forming apparatus as recited in claim 12 , wherein each of said movable binder segments are individually mounted to separate cradles so as to be individually movable with respect to one another.

14. The forming apparatus as recited in claim 11 , wherein said movable binder segments are biased in a direction toward said first binder.

15. The forming apparatus as recited in claim 14 , wherein said movable binder segments are elevated with respect to said stationary binder segments.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 11 , wherein said stationary binder segments have contoured surfaces that are dissimilar from one another.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 11 , wherein said movable binder segments have contoured surfaces that are substantially similar.

18. A sheet material forming apparatus comprising:

a first binder having a first set of laterally opposed sides and a second set of laterally opposed sides, said first and second sets having binder surfaces thereon; and

a second binder mounted in opposed facing relationship to said first binder, said second binder having a first set of laterally opposed sides that have binder surfaces that are substantially complementary in shape to said binder surfaces of said first set of laterally opposed sides of said first binder, said second binder further having a second set of laterally opposed sides that have binder surfaces that are substantially complementary in shape to said binder surfaces of said second set of laterally opposed sides of said first binder;

wherein said binder surfaces of said first sets of said first and second binders have substantially similar contours and further wherein said second sets of said first and second binders have different contours and wherein one of said first and second sets of said second binder are movable with respect to the other of said first and second sets of said second binder.

Assignments (13)