A collar and shaft assembly utilizing a ring and a multi-stepped groove. The multi-stepped groove permits the ring to be compressed into one groove while the collar is being assembled and then to expand into a different groove that permits the ring to contact surfaces on both the collar and the shaft.

A plating steel sheet for hot press forming includes: a base steel sheet; an Al-Zn-based plating layer formed on at least one surface of the base steel sheet; and an Fe-Al-based surface alloy layer formed between the base steel sheet and the Al-Zn-based plating layer, wherein the Al-Zn-based plating layer can include 10-30 wt % of Zn, 1 wt % or less of Fe, and the balance of Al and impurities.

An object to provide a press-forming method that can efficiently suppress springback and easily specify a position where a springback reduction effect by rigidity improvement is large, and the press-forming method used in producing a press-formed product having a predetermined shape by press-forming a sheet material, the method including: a first process that repeatedly performs a springback analysis, while changing a position to be restricted, to specify a position where a springback reduction effect by rigidity improvement is large; a second process that performs a rigidity improvement measure on a position of the sheet material corresponding to the position of the formed-product model specified in the first process; and a third process that produces the press-formed product by press-forming the sheet material on which the rigidity improvement measure has been performed.

The present invention is directed to a door skin having an exterior surface with an woodgrain pattern formed therein, and an etched plate for use as an embossing plate or with a molded die set, for forming the woodgrain pattern in the door skin. The exterior surface has outer portions lying on a first plane, spaced grooves recessed from the plane of the outer portions, and halftone portions. The halftone portions have spaced protrusions defined by channels, wherein the channels are recessed from the plane of the outer portions.

Provided is a sheet material press forming method of press forming a formed part including a top portion with a protrusion having a blockage protrusive shape, the method including: preforming a high-strength steel sheet; and then forming it into a target shape without fractures or wrinkles, which is achieved by determining a shape in the preforming by press forming analysis according to the following steps: S1: the region of the protrusion having the target shape is discretized into two-dimensional elements and nodes for finite element analysis; and S2: the discretized portion are applied with internal stress in the normal directions of the two-dimensional elements from the inside of the discretized portion and deformed under the following conditions: (a) the two-dimensional elements are deformed within an elastic deformation range; and (b) adjacent ones of the two-dimensional elements have an angle therebetween which is free to change.

A springback variation cause analysis method includes: calculating a first stress distribution in a press forming part; calculating a second stress distribution in the press forming part; calculating a difference between the second and the first stress distribution, and replacing and setting the first or the second stress distribution with the calculated stress difference distribution; calculating a first springback amount to be caused in the press forming part; changing a value of stress difference in a partial area of the press forming part in the stress difference distribution set for the press forming part; calculating a second springback amount; and analyzing a portion in the press forming part that is a cause of variation in springback amount in the press forming part due to scattering or variation in press forming conditions, based on the second springback amount and the first springback amount.

A method of forming a metal sheet into a target shape by press-forming, such that the metal sheet is formed into an intermediate shape that is different from the target shape and then the target shape is formed from the intermediate shape, the method includes: when forming the intermediate shape from the metal sheet, forming the intermediate shape by forming a first region including at least a portion at which a ratio of sheet thickness reduction from the metal sheet is larger when the target shape is formed via the intermediate shape than when the target shape is formed directly from the metal sheet.

A process of making a coupling device for physically and optically coupling an optical fiber to route optical signals to/from optical receiver/transmitter. The coupling device includes a structured reflective surface that functions as an optical element that directs light to/from the input/output ends of the optical fiber by reflection, and an optical fiber retention groove structure that positively receives the optical fiber in a manner with the end of the optical fiber at a defined distance to and aligned with the structured reflective surface. The open structure of the structured reflective surface and fiber retention structure lends itself to mass production processes such as precision stamping. The coupling device can be attached to an optical transmitter and/or receiver, with the structured reflective surface aligned to the light source in the transmitter or to the detector in the receiver, and adapted in an active optical cable.

A process of making a coupling device for physically and optically coupling an optical fiber to route optical signals to/from optical receiver/transmitter. The coupling device includes a structured reflective surface that functions as an optical element that directs light to/from the input/output ends of the optical fiber by reflection, and an optical fiber retention groove structure that positively receives the optical fiber in a manner with the end of the optical fiber at a defined distance to and aligned with the structured reflective surface. The open structure of the structured reflective surface and fiber retention structure lends itself to mass production processes such as precision stamping. The coupling device can be attached to an optical transmitter and/or receiver, with the structured reflective surface aligned to the light source in the transmitter or to the detector in the receiver, and adapted in an active optical cable.

Dies for forming components, such as sheet components, and methods of producing the dies are disclosed. The die may include a bulk material and a forming surface. A solid conductor may be formed in the bulk material. The solid conductor may be spaced from and extend adjacent to the forming surface and have a melting point that is greater than a melting point of the bulk material. The solid conductor may be configured to absorb heat from the forming surface. There may multiple solid conductors within the bulk material, for example spaced apart and extending along an axis. The solid conductor may be a bundle of carbon fibers, which may be pitch-based. The solid conductor may be conformal to the forming surface, for example, having a constant spacing therefrom. The solid conductor may be cast-in to the die during its production.