Vehicle frame components exhibiting enhanced energy absorption, an alloy and a method for their manufacture
AssigneeAluminum Company of America
InventorAllison S. Warren
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved elongate aluminum alloy product, and a method of producing such a product, ideally suited for use as a component in a vehicle frame or subassembly, i.e., body-in-white. The alloy consists of essentially 0.45 to 0.7% magnesium, and about 0.35 to 0.6%, silicon, and about 0.1 to 0.35%, vanadium, and, 0.1-0.4% iron, preferably 0.15 to 0.3%, the balance substantially aluminum and incidental elements and impurities.
Claims60
The method of producing an improved elongate aluminum alloy product comprising:
- providing an alloy consisting of 0.45 to 0.7% magnesium, and about 0.35 to 0.6%, silicon, and about 0.1 to 0.35%, vanadium, and, 0.1-0.4% iron, the balance essentially aluminum;
- extruding a body of said alloy;
- and
- air quenching said body of said alloy.
The method of producing an improved elongate aluminum alloy product comprising:
- providing an alloy consisting of 0.45 to 0.7% magnesium, and about 0.35 to 0.6%, silicon, and about 0.1 to 0.35%, vanadium, and, 0.1-0.4% iron, the balance essentially aluminum;
- heating said alloy;
- extruding said alloy;
- air quenching said extruded alloy;
- artificially aging said extruded alloy.
In the production of a vehicular frame component wherein elongate aluminum alloy stock is shaped by one or more working operations into said frame component, the improvement wherein the production of said elongate stock include:
- providing an alloy consisting of 0.45 to 0.7% magnesium, and about 0.35 to 0.6%, silicon, and about 0.1 to 0.35%, vanadium, and, 0.1-0.4% iron, the balance essentially aluminum;
- heating said alloy;
- extruding said alloy;
- air quenching said extruded alloy;
- stretching said alloy;
- artificially aging said extruded alloy.
In the method of producing a vehicle frame wherein extruded shaped aluminum component members are joined to other components, the improvement wherein at least some of said component members are made by a method comprising:
- providing an alloy consisting of 0.45 to 0.7% magnesium, and about 0.35 to 0.6%, silicon, and about 0.1 to 0.35%, vanadium, and 0.1-0.4% iron, the balance essentially aluminum;
- heating said alloy;
- extruding said alloy;
- air quenching said extruded alloy;
- and
- artificially aging said extruded alloy.
A vehicle frame comprising aluminum alloy extruded members joined to make a frame or subassembly, at least a plurality of said aluminum extruded members comprising aluminum alloy consisting of 0.45 to 0.7% magnesium, and about 0.35 to 0.6%, silicon, and about 0.1 to 0.35%, vanadium, and 0.1-0.4% iron, the balance essentially aluminum.
The method of producing an improved elongate aluminum alloy product comprising:
- providing an alloy consisting of 0.45 to 0.7% magnesium, and about 0.35 to 0.6%, silicon, and about 0.1 to 0.35%, vanadium, and, 0.1-0.4% iron, the balance essentially aluminum;
- extruding a body of said alloy;
- and
- quenching said body of said alloy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.