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:
Jan. 06, 2004
Filed:
Apr. 15, 2002
John E. Carsley, Clinton Township, MI (US);
Chongmin Kim, Davisburg, MI (US);
John Robert Bradley, Clarkston, MI (US);
George K. Nurminen, Troy, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A method is disclosed for forming a hem flange in an aluminum alloy sheet during the forming of the sheet into a panel that is intended to be attached to a second panel by hemming. The hem flange is formed by fluid pressure over a small radius tool portion to bend the flange from the sheet material and stretch the flange material below the bend to form a thinned hemline valley in the material. The original bend and thinned valley cooperate during the folding of the flange around the second panel to form a flat pinched hem without cracking or fracturing the flange material.