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. 08, 2016
Filed:
Jul. 20, 2011
Jon T. Carter, Farmington, MI (US);
Jon T. Carter, Farmington, MI (US);
GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A method of forming an article from a metal alloy sheet material includes selectively hardening only a first localized area of the metal alloy sheet material without hardening a second localized area of the metal alloy sheet material, wherein the second area adjoins the first area to thereby form a blank. The blank has a hardened region formed from the first area and having a first hardness, and a non-hardened region adjoining the hardened region and formed from the second area, and having a second hardness that is less than the first hardness. The method includes stamping the blank to thereby form a preform having a pre-protrusion at least partially formed from the hardened region, wherein the pre-protrusion has a first height, annealing the preform to thereby form a workpiece, and stamping the workpiece to increase the first height and thereby form the article.