US 5,395,036 A · Method of roll-forming an end automotive bumper

Abstract

An end bumper for vehicles constructed from a single sheet of high-tensile strength steel roll-formed to provide two side-by-side tubular sections. Each section has a front wall, an outer side wall, a rear wall, and an inner side wall, the inner side walls being spaced one from the other and connected together by a web roll-formed integrally with the inner side walls. The front walls each have extended ends overlapping and abutting the web. The extreme ends of the front walls also form an abutting juncture which is welded together and also welded to the web. The bumper has a sweep formed by a sweep-forming mechanism having curvilinear external and internal mandrels conforming to the inner configuration and outer configuration of the bumper so as to provide a passageway therebetween for receiving the bumper. The bumper is passed through the passageway while the roll-forming of the bumper takes place upstream of the mandrels. The inner mandrel is supported by an elongated member extending from the internal mandrel to a support member located where the bending of the terminal lateral ends of the sheet have not yet been completed. A cutting mechanism cuts the bumper at predetermined lengths after the sweeping of the bumper has been completed to continuously form in succession a series of bumpers during the roll-forming of the sheet.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A method for forming a bumper bar for a vehicle comprising the steps of continuously providing a sheet of steel of a predetermined width and continuously roll-forming said sheet of high tensile strength steel by first forming a web in the longitudinal center section of said sheet, said web forming two inner sides connected together by a web, said web being located on a predetermined plane;

bending said sheet at the ends of said web away from said plane to form relatively flat side walls extending from both ends of said web;
bending said sheet at the outer ends of said side walls to form first walls extending away from and substantially parallel to said predetermined plane;
bending the terminal lateral ends of said sheet in a direction toward said plane to form outer side walls and second walls, maid second walls being located on said plane and having extensions overlapping and abutting said web;
holding said outer wall and said extension ends of said second wall in a position where said extensions overlap and abut said web;
and
welding said extensions to said web during said holding step to form a one-piece bumper having side-by-side tubular meet ions connected together by said web.

3 more elements

A method for forming a bumper bar for a vehicle comprising the stops of continuously providing a sheet of steel of a predetermined width and continuously roll-forming said sheet of high tensile strength steel by first forming a web in the longitudinal center section of said sheet, said forming of said web providing two inner sides connected together by said web, said web being located on a predetermined plane;

bending said sheet at the ends of said web away from said plane to form relatively flat side walls extending from both ends of said web;
bending said sheet at the outer ends of said side walls to form first walls extending away from and substantially parallel to said predetermined plane;
bending the terminal lateral ends of said sheet in a direction toward said plane to form outer side walls and second walls, said second walls being located on said plane and having extensions overlapping and abutting said web;
holding said outer walls and said extension ends of said second walls in a position where said extensions overlap and abut said web;
welding said extensions to said web during said holding step to form a one-piece bumper having side-by-side tubular sections connected together by said web;
providing a sweep forming means having curvilinear external mandrel means conforming to the outer configuration of said bumper and curvilinear internal mandrel means conforming to the inner configuration of each of said tubular sections, said external and internal mandrel means being spaced from each other to provide a passageway therebetween for receiving said bumper therebetween;
passing said bumper through said passageway while said roll-forming step upstream of said external and internal mandrel means takes place and said upstream sheet connected to the integral tube is being roll-formed, and during said passing step continuously supporting the external and internal mandrel means in stationary positions, the internal mandrel means being supported by support means having elongated members extending from said internal mandrel means to a support member, said support member being located upstream of said sweep forming means where the bending of the terminal lateral ends of said sheet has not been completed thereby providing an opening through which said support member extends for attachment to said elongated member;
said step of passing said bumper through said passageway producing a predetermined sweep in said bumper as determined by the shape of said passageway;
and
cutting said swept integral bumper at predetermined lengths after the sweeping of the bumper has been completed to continuously form in succession a series of bumpers during the roll-forming of said sheet upstream of said sweep forming means.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of roll-forming an end automotive bumper

Life of this patent

Method of roll-forming an end automotive bumper

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims7