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US 11,897,016 B2Granted
Apparatus and method of shaping metal product
AssigneeCapital One Services, LLC
InventorDavid Kelly Wurmfeld
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for shaping a blank comprising a metal includes a step of loading die blank onto a first die, a step of bringing the first die and a second die together, a step of forming a seal around the blank, and a step of injecting a pressurized molten salt into a space in die blank to supply a hydraulic pressure to the blank.
Claims20
A method of shaping a blank, the method comprising:
- loading a blank onto a first die;
- assembling the first die together with a second die to form a seal around the blank;
- activating a first heater included in at least one of the first die or the second die to soften the blank;
- transferring solid salt from a salt container to a hydraulic cylinder;
- forming a molten salt by activating a second heater associated with the hydraulic cylinder;
- and
- injecting the molten salt from the hydraulic cylinder into a space between the blank and the second die to supply hydraulic pressure to the blank so as to force the blank against an inner surface of the first die.
4 more elements
An apparatus for shaping a blank, the apparatus comprising:
- a first die and a second die;
- a support structure attached to the first and second dies and configured to bring the first and second dies together to form a seal around the blank;
- a first heater included in at least one of the first die or the second die, the first heater being configured to soften the blank when the first and second dies form the seal around the blank;
- a salt container configured to hold solid salt;
- a hydraulic cylinder configured to receive the solid salt from the salt container;
- and
- a second heater associated with the hydraulic cylinder, the second heater being configured to heat the solid salt form a molten salt;
- wherein the hydraulic cylinder is configured to inject the molten salt into a space between the blank and the second die to supply hydraulic pressure to the blank so as to force the blank against an inner surface of the first die.
5 more elements
A product formed by the process of:
- loading a blank onto a first die;
- assembling the first die together with a second die to form a seal around the blank;
- activating a first heater included in at least one of the first die or the second die to soften the blank;
- transferring solid salt from a salt container to a hydraulic cylinder;
- forming a molten salt by activating a second heater associated with the hydraulic cylinder;
- and
- injecting the molten salt from the hydraulic cylinder into a space between the blank and the second die to supply hydraulic pressure to the blank so as to force the blank against an inner surface of the first die to shape the blank;
- wherein the product is formed at least in part using the shaped blank.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.