VEHICLE DOOR REINFORCING BEAM AND METHOD OF MAKING IT

• Main Author: MELLIS, JAY
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 11.07.2001
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: PERFORMING OPERATIONS; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FORVEHICLES; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILARDEVICES FOR VEHICLES

A vehicle door reinforcing beam cut and cold formed from a flat sheet of ultrahigh strength steel comprising a beam blank cut from a flat sheet of ultrahigh strength steel to provide an elongated generally flat central blank portion extending from end to end of the beam blank and integral side blank portions on opposite sides of the central blank portion. The central blank portion includes opposite end wall sections constructed and arranged to be fixedly secured to the vehicle door frame and an elongated central wall section extending between the end wall sections. The side blank portions include leg wall sections integral with the sides of the central wall section and bent by cold forming in a direction away from a flat surface of the central wall section to form a central reinforcing channel structure having leg section free ends defined by the leg wall sections adjacent the end wall sections and central wall section ends integral with the end wall sections. The central blank portion has notches formed therein at positions inwardly of the leg section free ends so as to limit the occurrence of distortional stresses occasioned by the cold form bending of the side wall sections to those insufficient to distort the generally flat extent of the end wall sections with respect to the central wall section. A method of making the beam including the steps of cutting the blank from a sheet of ultrahigh strength steel and bending the leg sections in a cold forming operation is also enclosed.