# US 11,866,799 B2 · Shaped boron tubular structure support > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,866,799 B2 - Document ID: US11866799B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/238,451 - Filed: 2021-04-23 - Published: 2021-08-26 - Granted: 2024-01-09 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-30 - Assignees: L & W Engineering - Applicants: L&W Engineering - Inventors: Dean Richardson; Jason Bigelow - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11866799B2 ## CPC - C21D 9/08: for tubular bodies or pipes - B21D 22/025: {for tubular articles} - B21D 22/208: {by heating the blank or deep-drawing associated with heat treatment (C21D takes precedence)} - C21D 1/673: for die quenching - C21D 7/13: by hot working - C21D 8/10: during manufacturing of tubular bodies - C21D 2211/008: Martensite - C21D: MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass C23F17/00; unidirectional solidification of eutectic materials or unidirectional demixing of eutectoid materials C30B) - B21D: WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL (working or processing of wire B21F) ## Abstract A method of producing a shaped structure support, e.g., for a vehicle, is disclosed. The method includes: heating a hollow workpiece of a steel material to a material transformation temperature range; deforming the hollow workpiece in a press into the shaped structure support having a predefined complex geometry while the hollow workpiece is in the material transformation temperature range; and quenching the hollow workpiece through contact with a press tool of the press to provide the shaped structure support with a martensitic microstructure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of producing a boron steel material shaped structure support, comprising: heating a hollow workpiece to a material transformation temperature range to provide the hollow workpiece with an austenitic microstructure; deforming the hollow workpiece in a press into the shaped structure support having a predefined complex geometry while the hollow workpiece is in the material transformation temperature range; quenching the hollow workpiece through contact with a press tool of the press to provide the shaped structure support with a martensitic microstructure; and tempering the shaped structure support. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the deforming and the quenching are performed in the same step. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the deforming includes pressing the hollow workpiece between a first press tool and a second press tool, and the quenching includes maintaining the pressing of the hollow workpiece in a closed die set between the first press tool and the second press tool. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein all of the deformation of the hollow workpiece is done in a single press stroke of the press and is completed before reaching a martensite start temperature of the hollow workpiece. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein quenching the hollow workpiece includes pressing and holding the hollow workpiece under pressure between a first die and a second die for a predetermined duration. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein quenching the hollow workpiece further includes purging an inner diameter of the hollow workpiece with a quenching fluid. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring the hollow workpiece to the press within a predefined duration after heating the hollow workpiece to the material transformation range. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the predefined duration is 30 seconds or less. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined complex geometry includes at least one of a non-round cross section, a transitional shape geometry, and a non-linear geometry along a longitudinal axis of the hollow workpiece. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the shaped structure support has at least one of the following properties: a tensile strength of about 1,200 MPa to 1,600 MPa; a yield strength of about 1,000 MPa to 1,300 MPa; an elongation of about 5% to 15%; and a hardness of about 45 HRC to 64 HRC. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the hollow workpiece is quenched at a cooling rate of 27° C./second or greater. ### Claim 12 A method of producing a shaped structure support for a vehicle, comprising: providing a hollow workpiece of a boron steel material with a circular cylindrical shape; heating the hollow workpiece to a material transformation range to provide the boron steel material with an austenitic microstructure; forming the hollow workpiece into the shaped structure support having a predefined complex geometry by deforming the hollow workpiece in a press while the hollow workpiece is still in the material transformation temperature range; quenching the hollow workpiece in the press to provide the shaped structure support with a martensitic microstructure; wherein forming the hollow workpiece and quenching the hollow workpiece are performed in the same step where the hollow workpiece is pressed and held in a closed die set between a first die and a second die of the press. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first die and the second die includes an ambient temperature form hardening die that quenches the hollow workpiece through direct contact with a cavity of the form hardening die. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising transferring the hollow workpiece to the press within a specified time period after heating the hollow workpiece to the material transformation temperature range. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the specified time period is 30 seconds or less. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein quenching the hollow workpiece further includes purging an inner diameter of the hollow workpiece with a quenching fluid. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the quenching fluid is water or oil. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first die and the second die includes flow passages for circulating a heat transfer fluid to facilitate quenching the hollow workpiece. ### Claim 19 A method of producing a boron steel material shaped structure support, comprising: heating a hollow workpiece to a material transformation temperature range to provide the hollow workpiece with an austenitic microstructure; deforming the hollow workpiece in a press into the shaped structure support having a predefined complex geometry while the hollow workpiece is in the material transformation temperature range; quenching the hollow workpiece through contact with a press tool of the press to provide the shaped structure support with a martensitic microstructure; and wherein the hollow workpiece is quenched at a cooling rate of 27° C./second or greater.