# US 12,109,601 B2 · Method for manufacturing press-formed product > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,109,601 B2 - Document ID: US12109601B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/632,805 - Filed: 2020-08-06 - Published: 2022-09-01 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-06 - Assignees: Nippon Steel Corporation - Applicants: Nippon Steel Corporation - Inventors: Shohei Yamazaki; Ryuichi Nishimura; Koichi Hamada; Takuya Oishi; Tohru Yoshida - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109601B2 ## CPC - B21D 22/26: for making peculiarly, e.g. irregularly, shaped articles - B21D 22/22: with devices for holding the edge of the blanks (B21D22/24 - B21D22/30 take precedence; shaping over a die without external former B21D11/02) - B21D 28/26: in sheets or flat parts - B62D 25/105: {for motor cars} - B62D 25/12: Parts or details thereof (locks E05B, {E05B83/16; devices for holding open E05C17/00, e.g. while carrying oversize objects E05C17/042}; hinges E05D; counterbalancing means E05F; {checks, stops, buffers E05F5/00; } springs, {e.g. pneumatic springs} F16F) - B21D 53/88: other parts for vehicles, e.g. cowlings, mudguards - 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) - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) ## Abstract A method for manufacturing a press-formed product suppresses occurrence of a forming defect such as a crack in a starting material during press forming, and also suppresses occurrence of problems when transferring a starting material during press forming. A manufacturing intermediate is formed by forming, in a flat-sheet shaped blank sheet, a planned outline portion including an undulating shape which is used for forming an outline of an outer circumferential portion of a press-formed product. The flat shape of the blank sheet is maintained in a region from the planned outline portion toward the center of the manufacturing intermediate, or an intermediate stretch-formed portion having a predetermined intermediate forming height is formed in the manufacturing intermediate in the region. A through-hole is formed by piercing a flat portion at which the flat shape is maintained or a stretch-formed-side top portion of the intermediate stretch-formed portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for manufacturing a press-formed product, comprising: forming a manufacturing intermediate by forming a planned outline portion including an undulating shape in a flat-sheet shaped blank sheet, as a planned portion for an outline portion which forms an outline of an outer circumferential portion of the press-formed product; maintaining a flat shape of the blank sheet in a region from the planned outline portion toward a center of the manufacturing intermediate, or forming an intermediate stretch-formed portion having a predetermined intermediate forming height in the manufacturing intermediate in a region from the planned outline portion toward a center of the manufacturing intermediate; piercing a flat portion and forming a through-hole while maintaining the flat shape of the flat portion or piercing a stretch-formed-side top portion of the intermediate stretch-formed portion and forming a through-hole; and after the through-hole is formed in the flat portion, forming the flat portion into a stretch-formed portion of a predetermined height, or, after the through-hole is formed in the intermediate stretch-formed portion, forming the intermediate stretch-formed portion into the stretch-formed portion of the predetermined height that is greater than the predetermined intermediate forming height. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method for manufacturing the press-formed product according to claim 1, wherein: the blank sheet is a sheet member having a sheet thickness of 0.5 mm or less. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method for manufacturing the press-formed product according to claim 1, wherein: the planned outline portion includes a planned flat outline portion; and after the planned outline portion is formed from the blank sheet, the manufacturing intermediate is carried from a press forming machine that forms the planned outline portion to a different press forming machine that is used in a downstream process after the planned outline portion is formed, by carrying the manufacturing intermediate while supporting the planned flat outline portion using a carrier machine. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method for manufacturing the press-formed product according to claim 1, wherein: after the planned outline portion is formed from the blank sheet, the planned outline portion is made into the outline portion by subjecting the planned outline portion to finishing work that includes a restriking process. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method for manufacturing the press-formed product according to claim 1, wherein: a shape of an outer circumferential portion of the stretch-formed portion is a polygon. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method for manufacturing the press-formed product according to claim 5, wherein: the predetermined intermediate forming height is less than one half of the height of the stretch-formed portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method for manufacturing the press-formed product according to claim 5, wherein: the outer circumferential portion of the stretch-formed portion is formed in an M-sided shape (M is an integer of 3 or more); an edge portion of the through-hole is formed in an N-sided shape (N is an integer of 3 or more); and M is equal to N, and a position of a corner portion of the outer circumferential portion and a position of a corner portion of the edge portion are caused to deviate in a circumferential direction of the through-hole. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method for manufacturing the press-formed product according to claim 7, wherein: the corner portion of the edge portion is arranged at a position corresponding to one half of an angular pitch between two corner portions which are adjacent to each other of the outer circumferential portion in the circumferential direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The method for manufacturing the press-formed product according to claim 5, wherein: a shape of an edge portion of the through-hole is a regular polygon; each corner portion of the regular polygon of the edge portion is formed in an arc shape; and when a radius of curvature of the arc shape is defined as “a”, and a distance from a center of the through-hole to a midpoint of any one side of the edge portion is defined as “b”, 0.3≤a/b≤1.0. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method for manufacturing the press-formed product according to claim 1, wherein: a shape of an outer circumferential portion of the stretch-formed portion is a circular. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method for manufacturing the press-formed product according to claim 10, wherein: the predetermined intermediate forming height is greater than one half of the predetermined height of the stretch-formed portion and is less than the predetermined height of the stretch-formed portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method for manufacturing the press-formed product according to claim 10, wherein: an edge portion of the through-hole is circular.