The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 20, 2019
Filed:
Mar. 21, 2017
Ford Global Technologies, Llc, Dearborn, MI (US);
Constantin Chiriac, Windsor, CA;
Garret Sankey Huff, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Raj Sohmshetty, Canton, MI (US);
Peter A. Friedman, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
Systems and methods for locally softening high strength steel are disclosed. One method may include heat treating one or more local regions of a steel component having a hardness of at least 450 HV to soften the local region(s) to a hardness of at most 250 HV. The heat treating may include heating only the local region(s) to a target temperature above an Atemperature of the component and below an Atemperature of the component. In another method, the heat treating may include heating only the local region(s) to a first target temperature above an Atemperature of the component, cooling the local region(s) to below an Atemperature of the component, and isothermally holding the local region(s) at a second target temperature below the Atemperature. The locally softened region(s) may allow for improved joining and/or trimming of the component.