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:
Oct. 01, 2019
Filed:
Nov. 04, 2016
Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI (US);
Nia R. Harrison, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Mikhail Minevich, Southfield, MI (US);
S. George Luckey, Jr., Dearborn, MI (US);
FORD MOTOR COMPANY, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
Methods of heat treating aluminum alloys are disclosed. The method may include forming a sheet of solution heat-treated, quenched, and aged 6xxx series aluminum having a sheet average yield strength of at least 100 MPa into a component. The component may then be attached to an assembly and at least a portion of the assembly may be painted. The method may then include heat treating the assembly to cure the paint and to increase a component average yield to at least 240 MPa. In another embodiment, the method may include progressively forging a sheet of T4-tempered 6xxx series aluminum into a component using multiple dies and artificially aging the component at 210° C. to 240° C. for 20 to 40 minutes to a component average yield strength of at least 300 MPa. The methods may reduce component cycle time and may reduce strength gradients within the component.