# US 2022/0033922 A1 · Heat treatment apparatus for vehicle body component > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0033922 A1 - Document ID: US20220033922A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/144,661 - Filed: 2021-01-08 - Published: 2022-02-03 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-28 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation - Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation - Inventors: Hyeon-Cheol CHOI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220033922A1 ## CPC - C21D 9/0068: {for particular articles not mentioned below} - B21D 53/88: other parts for vehicles, e.g. cowlings, mudguards - C21D 1/42: Induction heating - C21D 1/667: for spray quenching - C21D 9/0062: {Heat-treating apparatus with a cooling or quenching zone} - C21D 2221/00: Treating localised areas of an article - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - 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) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract An heat treatment apparatus for a vehicle body component includes, a jig base, a lower fixed die fixedly installed on the jig base and supporting the vehicle body component that is press-molded into a predetermined shape, a heating unit installed on the lower fixed die and locally heating the vehicle body component, a plurality of side movable dies that can move reciprocally disposed at both sides of the lower fixed die, installed on the jig base, and selectively combinable with the lower fixed die, a cooling unit installed on each side movable die and cooling a heating portion of the vehicle body component, and an upper movable die that can move reciprocally in the up and down direction correspondingly to the lower fixed die, and configured to clamp the vehicle body component through the lower fixed die and at least one of the side movable dies combined together. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heat treatment apparatus for a vehicle body component, the heat treatment apparatus comprising: a jig base; a lower fixed die fixedly installed on the jig base and configured to support the vehicle body component; a heating unit installed on the lower fixed die and configured to locally heat the vehicle body component; a plurality of side movable dies disposed at both sides of the lower fixed die and installed on the jig base, wherein the plurality of side movable dies is configured to move reciprocally and is selectively assembled with the lower fixed die; a cooling unit installed on each side movable die of the plurality of side movable dies and configured to cool a heating portion of the vehicle body component; and an upper movable die configured to move reciprocally in an up and down direction correspondingly to the lower fixed die, and clamp the vehicle body component through the lower fixed die and at least one side movable die of the plurality of side movable die assembled together. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating unit is configured to locally induction-heat a portion of the vehicle body component by supplying an electrical power to an induction coil. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cooling unit is configured to directly inject a coolant toward the heating portion of the vehicle body component. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a first driving power source installed on the jig base and connected to the at least one side movable die of the plurality of side movable die; and a second driving power source installed on a jig frame above the jig base and connected to the upper movable die. ### Claim 5 A heat treatment apparatus for local heat treatment of a vehicle body component, the heat treatment apparatus comprising: a lower fixed die fixedly installed on a jig base and configured to support a lower surface of the vehicle body component; an induction coil installed on the lower fixed die and disposed at a predetermined gap with a heating portion of the vehicle body component; a plurality of side movable dies disposed at both sides of the lower fixed die, installed on the jig base, and configured to support both edge portions of the vehicle body component, wherein the plurality of side movable dies is configured to move reciprocally and selectively assemble with the lower fixed die; a plurality of coolant injection members installed on each side moveable die of the plurality of side movable dies and configured to inject coolant to the heating portion of the vehicle body component; and an upper movable die configured to move reciprocally in an up and down direction correspondingly to the lower fixed die, and clamp the vehicle body component through the lower fixed die and at least one side movable die of the plurality of side movable die assembled together. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 5, further comprising: a mounting bracket that is installed on a top of the lower fixed die, configured to fix the induction coil, and made of a heat insulating material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 6, wherein: the lower fixed die forms a first loading portion, an upper surface of the first loading portion configured to support the lower surface of the vehicle body component, the lower fixed die consecutively forms a plurality of channels and ribs along a length direction on both sides of the lower fixed die having the first loading portion interposed, and the mounting bracket is mount on the plurality of channels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 5, wherein: the lower fixed die comprises a first loading portion having an upper surface forming a shape corresponding to a shape of the vehicle body component, and the lower fixed die is configured to support the lower surface of the vehicle body component. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 8, wherein the upper movable die comprises a first clamping portion formed on a lower surface of the upper movable die correspondingly to an upper surface of the first loading portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first loading portion comprises: a first portion supporting a first end portion of the vehicle body component; a second portion supporting a second end portion of the vehicle body component; and a third portion connecting the first and second portions and supporting a lower surface between the first end portion and the second end portion of the vehicle body component. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 5, wherein the induction coil is formed along at least two predetermined routes correspondingly to the vehicle body component. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 5, wherein the plurality of side movable die comprises a second loading portion having an upper surface forming a shape corresponding to a shape of the vehicle body component, and configured to support a respective edge portion of the vehicle body component. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 12, wherein the upper movable die comprises a second clamping portion formed on a lower surface of the upper movable die correspondingly to the second loading portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 5, wherein the lower fixed die comprises: a body portion corresponding to a lower surface shape of the vehicle body component; and wing portions respectively extending from a first end portion and a second end portion of the body portion in both directions. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 14, wherein the side movable die comprises: a first combining portion configured to be assembled with the body portion between the wing portions; and second combining portions configured to be assembled with the wing portions and formed at the first end portion and the second end portion of the first combining portion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 15, wherein: a first combining surface configured to be assembled with first combining portion is formed on the body portion; and second combining surfaces configured to be assembled with the second combining portions is formed on the wing portions. ### Claim 17 (depends on 5) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 5, wherein a coolant injection member of the plurality of coolant injection members comprises: a nipple portion installed in a coolant supply hole penetrating at least one side movable die of the plurality of side movable dies, and connected to the coolant supply hole; and a nozzle portion connected to the nipple portion in a swivel rotatable manner. ### Claim 18 (depends on 5) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 5, wherein the lower fixed die comprises a coolant drain portion provided at both sides of the lower fixed die and forms a coolant exhaust passages when the lower fixed die is assembled with the plurality of side movable dies.