US 5,367,770 A · Method for embossing indented door light opening edge

Abstract

The present invention provides an automated method for forming indented embossed edges around along the periphery of a light aperture for mounting a panel light's pane and frame assembly therein. A panel blank made of sheet metal is mounted on the table of an automated CNC punch press. Next the light aperture is scored in the blank using the punch press to punch out elongated slots between widely spaced apart bridge tabs forming an aperture blank within and connected to the panel blank by the spaced apart bridge tabs. Next the indented embossed edges are formed with two cooperating punch and die sets. A first right angled die set is used to form the four corners. A second straight bar die set is used with an automated nibbling function of the CNC punch press machine to form the linear extending sides of the indented embossed edge. The cooperating punch and die sets are designed to form an edge and not punch through a hole in the blank. The panel is assembled from a front skin and a back skin formed from two such panels and the panel aperture is formed by removing the aperture blanks after the skins have been attached thereby generally forming the shape of the panel. The light assembly is then mounted within the panel aperture.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for producing a panel having a light assembly aperture with embossed indented edges around a periphery of the aperture, said method comprising the following steps:

scoring out an outline of a light assembly aperture in a panel blank, thereby forming an aperture blank interior of the scored outline and aperture edges surrounding the aperture blank and the outline,
forming an indented embossment along the aperture edges of the aperture along and exterior to the scored outline by mounting the panel blank having said aperture therein in an automated numerically controlled punch press machine having at least one cooperating die and punch set operatively mounted therein, and
operating the machine using the one cooperating die and punch set in an automated nibbling function along the aperture edges to form the embossment with embossed indented aperture edges of the light assembly aperture.

A method for producing a steel door having a door light, said method comprising:

forming a front skin and a back skin wherein each skin is made from a piece of suitable gauge sheet metal in the form of a panel blank and each panel blank is formed by the following steps:
scoring out an outline of a light aperture in the panel blank, thereby forming an aperture blank interior of the scored outline and aperture edges surrounding the aperture blank and the outline,
forming an indented embossment along the aperture edges of the light aperture along and exterior to the scored outline by mounting the panel blank having said aperture therein in an automated numerically controlled punch press machine having at least one cooperating die and punch set operatively mounted therein, and
operating the machine using the one cooperating die and punch set in an automated nibbling function along the aperture edges to form the embossed indented edges;
then assembling the door by attaching the back skin to the front skin and forming a door light assembly aperture by removing the aperture blank from each of the front and back skins.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for embossing indented door light opening edge

Life of this patent

Method for embossing indented door light opening edge

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14