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:
Mar. 30, 2010
Filed:
Nov. 11, 2008
Mike M. Ghiran, Lake Orion, MI (US);
Spyros P. Mellas, Waterford, MI (US);
Tiffanie E. Coe, Sterling Heights, MI (US);
Kevin R. Marks, Durand, MI (US);
Mike M. Ghiran, Lake Orion, MI (US);
Spyros P. Mellas, Waterford, MI (US);
Tiffanie E. Coe, Sterling Heights, MI (US);
Kevin R. Marks, Durand, MI (US);
GM Global Technology Operations, Inc., Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A hydroforming seal and method includes a nozzle having both a radially expandable O-ring seal and a conical tapered surface for separately sealing with the bore of the tube. The O-ring seal is expanded to seal the tube and pressurized fluid is added sufficient to support the interior of the tube while the dies are closed so that the tube is thereby bent and forced into the die cavity without collapse or injury to the tube. The O-ring seal is then contracted to a non-sealing position and the conical tapered surface provides metal-to-metal sealing while the higher hydroforming pressure is applied to expand the tube. The nozzle also has a radial shoulder that engages the end face of the tube so that advance of the nozzle feeds the tube into the die.