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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| RE43012 | Quick plastic forming of aluminum alloy sheet metal A method is disclosed for stretching magnesium-containing aluminum alloy sheet stock into intricate shapes such as are required in automotive body panels. The sheet stock, at a temperature in the range of about 400° C. to about 510° C., is stretched under the pres... | 12/13/2011 |
| 7832244 | Controlling fluid pressure in a hydroforming process A system for hydroforming a workpiece containing fluid at elevated pressure includes a die in which the workpiece is formed, a source of control pressure, a tank at low pressure, and a valve that includes a displaceable control element that alternately moves between... | 11/16/2010 |
| 7823430 | Open press thermal gap for QPF forming tools A quick plastic forming (QPF) tool is provided in which a thermal gap is created that reduces or eliminates some of the conductive heat loss paths when the QPF tool is in an open position during part removal or sheet loading. By reducing conductive heat loss, a more... | 11/02/2010 |
| 7802458 | Process for fabricating large-surface metal plate into a shaped part, such as an outer skin panel of a vehicle body A process for forming a large-surface metal plate into a shaped part includes using a molding tool. The tool includes a reservoir filled with incompressible fluid work medium, clamping jaws and a shaping die movable towards the reservoir. Profiling elements, corresp... | 09/28/2010 |
| 7661282 | Hot forming process for metal alloy sheets Magnesium and other metal alloy sheet materials are deformed at hot forming temperatures into vehicle body panels and other articles. Many such hot forming operations are improved in speed and product quality by predetermining a static recrystallization temperature ... | 02/16/2010 |
| 7614270 | Method and apparatus for superplastic forming The present invention provides a method and apparatus for forming a ductile sheet or work piece into a part or component. The method includes using a forming apparatus wherein the workpiece is placed between and upper die and a blank holder and then lowered onto a p... | 11/10/2009 |
| 7574884 | Apparatus and method for sheet material forming The present invention relates to a heating and forming apparatus for sheet material and method for rapid heating and shaping of sheet material. The apparatus comprises a first and second respectively movable forming dies, with the first forming die having a forming ... | 08/18/2009 |
| 7484393 | Profile mother pipe for hydraulic bulging, hydraulic bulging apparatus using the same, hydraulic bulging method, and hydraulic bulged product A profile mother pipe for hydraulic bulging of the present invention has a peripheral length whose outer diameter is gradually increased or decreased from one end to the other end in an axial direction. In the profile mother pipe, a holding portion whose peripheral ... | 02/03/2009 |
| 7472572 | Method and apparatus for gas management in hot blow-forming dies A method and apparatus for forming a sheet of ductile material by superplastic forming is disclosed. The method is directed to first creating a pre-form by mechanical forming in which the pre-form is created with a die and punch. Thereafter the pre-form is subjected... | 01/06/2009 |
| 7363790 | Method for vaccum assisted preforming of superplastically or quick plastically formed article Method of preforming and forming a sheet metal article from a preheated blank of sheet metal uses opposing dies including a punch having a punch surface defining a final configuration for the article and a cavity die having a cavity surface defining a preform config... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7357461 | Axle structure for a motor vehicle An axle structure for a motor vehicle includes a body of U-shaped configuration with two longitudinal beams and a cross member interconnecting the longitudinal beams at one end thereof. Each longitudinal beam has ends formed as a neck. The longitudinal beams and the... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7343768 | Method of net-forming an article and apparatus for same A method of forming an article such as a helical gear and an apparatus for forming the article are provided. The method includes applying pulsating pressure downward to extruding the work piece and, while the pressure is applied downward, injecting fluid to surround... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7334446 | Method for producing a striplike pre-material made of metal, especially a pre-material which has been profiled into regularly reoccurring sections, and device therefor This invention describes both a method and apparatus to practice a method which produces a strip-like pre-material from metal using rollers which have a roll gap in which the metal strip is discontinuously rolled in successively steps between the same two rollers wi... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7329220 | Sheet punching and embossing machine A sheet punching and embossing machine includes a device for punching blanks from sheets. The device has a frame and a bearing plate is mountable in the frame. The bearing plate is equipped with punching and grooving knives. Hydraulically activated clamping elements... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7322590 | Fuel tank and suspension structure The lower side of a fuel tank positioned above a torsion beam is downwardly convexly formed, and the torsion beam is also downwardly convexly bent in correspondence to the lower side of the fuel tank, thereby providing a sufficient capacity of the fuel tank and spac... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7320239 | Forming tool for multiple-thickness blanks An apparatus for forming blanks having two thicknesses separated by a blank step includes a forming tool defining a binder surface that is characterized by a tool step, a first region on a first side of the tool step, a second region on a second side of the tool ste... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7318333 | Superplastic forming tool A superplastic forming tool for forming a workpiece to make a part. The forming tool includes a forming die having first and second die members. At least one of the die members having a cavity including a forming surface and a plenum. A plurality of passageways exte... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7313939 | Hydroforming machine and a method of hydroforming A hydroforming machine characterized by a die 2 having an opening on the upper surface and a fluid tank 2a filled with fluid, a holder 3 being able to hold a periphery part between the die 2 and itself, a punch 4 being movab... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7313940 | High-pressure shaping system A high-pressure system for hydroshaping a hollow workpiece has a lower die and an upper die vertically shiftable above the lower die and forming therewith a cavity shaped to hold the workpiece. An upper actuating element bears downward via a vertically compressible ... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7310878 | Automotive lower body component method of manufacture A method for manufacturing a lower body component for a vehicle is provided including forming a one-piece floor pan at least partially defining a vehicle passenger compartment and substantially extending longitudinally at least the entire length thereof, and forming... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7293445 | Sheet processing apparatus, method of use, and plastically deformed sheet An apparatus for plastically deforming a work piece. The apparatus comprises at least two cylindrical guide rolls rotatable in a first direction, a bendable strip having a portion of at least one surface in communication with a portion of an outer circumference of e... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7290423 | Roller hemming apparatus and method Various embodiments of roller hemming apparatus and methods are disclosed including one wherein multiple rollers are carried on a single mount to hem a flange in a single pass, another including induction heating and air quenching means movable with a roller to anne... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7284405 | Pressure controlled fluid pressure extrusion method The lower part of a material to be molded forms a lower, seal with a die. A punch applying a molding force to the material forms an upper seal with the perimeter of the die. The space between the upper and lower, seals forms a pressure chamber that is filled with a ... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7284402 | System and process for superplastic forming A system and method for superplastic forming a workpiece. The system includes a superplastic forming cell formed of a plurality of individual stations or modules, each one performing a specific manufacturing step or process on the workpiece. Individual stations incl... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7266982 | Hydroforming device and method An apparatus (10, 110) and method to form a workpiece (32, 132) into a useful product (28, 128) using a pressurized fluid (14), also termed as “hydroforming”. The workpiece may be a tube or may be one or a plurality of sheets of a mat... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7254980 | Gas supply tube and method of making same A metal gas-feed tube for a head air bag automotive vehicle has a sleeve formed on a bent end thereof to fit onto a connecting fitting of a gas generator. That sleeve is formed in part from an unbent region of the tube by pressing a mandrel into the end of the tube ... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7245506 | System for reducing noise induced from reference plane currents A method of reducing noise induced from reference plane currents is disclosed. The method includes routing a first path for an electrical trace on a circuit board such that the first path references a voltage plane. The method further includes routing a second path ... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7234481 | Safety pressure relief device A safety pressure relief device comprises an annular flange portion (22), a concave/convex dome portion (24) and a transition portion (26) between the flange portion (22) and the dome portion (24), the transition portion (26... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7231798 | System and method for tube bending A method for bending a tube in a pre-selected geometry includes deriving at least one processing parameter from the geometry, applying a thermal source circumferentially to the tube to heat the tube along at least one circumferentially directed path in accordance wi... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7225542 | Vehicle body compartment lid method of manufacturing A vehicle body compartment lid includes a unitary, one-piece panel. The panel has both an inner panel portion and an outer panel portion, and is bent or folded such that the inner panel portion and the outer panel portion are in juxtaposition with one another. A met... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7222512 | Method and device for bending a cylindrical tube or the like The invention concerns methods and devices for bending a cylindrical tube or the like (1) so as to obtain two consecutive sections (2, 3) of said tube forming between them a non-null angle alpha. The method is essentially characterised in that it consi... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7210323 | Binder apparatus for sheet forming A forming apparatus and method for minimizing wrinkling in the forming of a three-dimensional component from a two-dimensional blank. The forming apparatus includes vertically opposed sets of tools or binders. A first tool or binder apparatus has first and second se... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7204112 | Method of lubricating a workpiece for hydroforming An apparatus and method of applying a lubricating material to an outer surface of a workpiece. Initially, a workpiece is provided that is preferably formed from a closed channel structural member having a circular or box-shaped cross sectional shape. Lubricating mat... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7204119 | Hollow metallic ring seal for press A press and tooling apparatus for forming a preheated blank includes a heated upper tool and an opposing heated lower tool mounted within the press for relative closing movement to press the preheated blank there between. A binder ring assembly surrounds the lower t... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7194883 | Method for forming of tubular work-pieces using a segmented tool The hydroforming tool of the present invention comprises a pair of upper and lower tool inserts having open axial ends and defining an elongated cavity there between when the tool inserts are forced together. The upper and/or lower tool inserts are composed of segme... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7191631 | Sheet metal bending brake with improved hinge A sheet metal bending brake having a frame with a sheet metal support surface. A clamping jaw is movable relative to the frame support surface to clamp the sheet metal between the clamping jaw and the frame. The clamping jaw has a linear front edge. An elongated ben... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7188499 | Method and device for processing outer shape of can shell A pressing member 44 is pressed from the outside against a peripheral wall of a can shell 4 whose interior is maintained at a predetermined pressure by gas, to form a recess-deformed portion 56 having a predetermined shape on the peripheral wall... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7178374 | Press forming apparatus for fuel cell metal separator A press forming apparatus, for metal separators for fuel cells, has a pair of peripheral portion holding dies which hold a peripheral portion of a material and are movable toward and counter to each other; a pair of intermediate portion forming dies for forming a in... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7175230 | Energy absorber, a method for making an energy absorber, and several items which include such an energy absorber An energy absorber 10 which is made by a new and novel process and which includes beads, such as beads 12, 14, and 16 which are selectively coupled together and reside upon an elastomeric surface 90. The beads, such as beads 12, 14, | 02/13/2007 |
| 7165435 | Conduction preheating for hot-formed sheet metal panels Work hardened sheets of formable metal are annealed by thermal conduction and heated to a forming temperature. In a preferred embodiment, the sheet is placed on a flat surface of a heated lower platen to partially heat and soften the sheet and an opposing heated upp... | 01/23/2007 |
