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. 28, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 23, 2002
Bruce Steven Shimanovski, Southfield, MI (US);
Mircea M. Ghiran, Lake Orion, MI (US);
George Thomas Winterhalter, Berkley, MI (US);
Romuald Gmurowski, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
The seal units that form part of a hydroforming apparatus that further includes dies for hydroforming parts are each provided with a tubular part locator for locating and clamping a tubular part in alignment with the seal unit. The part locator basically comprises a locator member, a pair of pivot arms and a backup member wherein the locator member and the pivot arms together with the seal unit are supported by an elevator that aligns the seal unit and the locator member with the hydroforming dies when the latter close on the tubular part. The locator member has a concave surface and guide surfaces wherein the concave surface has a shape conforming to the outer surface of the part and the guide surfaces are adapted to guide an end portion of the tubular part onto the concave surface of the locator member and thereby into alignment with the seal unit. The pivot arms each have a concave surface also conforming to the outer surface of the part and are adapted on pivoting to clamping positions to clamp the end portion of the part on the concave surface of the locator member. The backup member is adapted to hold the pivot arms in their clamping position during hydroforming of the part and may also include a concave surface that is adapted to clamp the end portion of the tubular part on the concave surface of the locator member in cooperation with the concave surface of the pivot arms.