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:
Feb. 14, 2006
Filed:
Mar. 06, 2003
Peter A. Friedman, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Warren Benjamin Copple, Trenton, MI (US);
George Luckey, Jr., Dearborn, MI (US);
Peter A. Friedman, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Warren Benjamin Copple, Trenton, MI (US);
George Luckey, Jr., Dearborn, MI (US);
Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
A super-plastic forming tool for forming aluminum sheets is provided that includes a seal bead that is configured to facilitate removal of the aluminum sheet from the seal bead after a super-plastic forming operation. Contraction of the aluminum sheet at a faster rate than the super-plastic forming tool facilitates removal of the aluminum sheet due to the specific geometry of the seal bead. The seal bead has a more shallowly sloped outer surface than its inner surface and may be provided in different configurations including flat, convex, concave shapes.