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. 29, 2016
Filed:
Jun. 06, 2014
Ford Global Technologies, Llc, Dearborn, MI (US);
Mohammed Omar Faruque, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Kevin Pline, Plymouth, MI (US);
Srinivasan Sundararajan, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Duncan Whipps, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI (US);
Darrin Neil Wagner, Bloomfield Hills, MI (US);
Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
An aluminum alloy vehicle structural component defining an out-of-plane aperture with its main portion. A recessed portion is inset from the main portion having a bed sub-portion out-of-plane with the main portion that defines the aperture. The recessed portion also provides a strain hardened sub-portion, or stiffened ring of material, around the aperture. When the main portion is subjected to in-plane tension due to bending, the strain primarily concentrates along the strain hardened sub-portion (the stiffened ring) and by-passes the aperture. As a result the perimeter of the aperture undergoes less straining than if the aperture was in-plane with the main portion. The out-of-plane aperture, the bed sub-portion surrounding the aperture, and the strain hardened sub-portion surrounding the bed sub-portion may improve the overall structural robustness of the aluminum alloy structural component when subjected to in-plane tension.