MOTOR VEHICLE COMPONENT AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

Abstract

A motor vehicle component has two component parts made of steel with different wall thicknesses, which are arranged at an angle to one another and are connected by a weld seam. A joining surface at the end portion of the first component part has a bevel produced without cutting. In order to form the bevel, an end portion of an initial blank is formed without cutting. The end portion is then trimmed at the end and an abutment surface is created on the front side of the end portion. The two component parts are positioned relative to each other so that the joining surface of the first component part and the joining surface of the second component part face each other. The material-locking joining of the first component part and the second component part is achieved by a weld seam on the joining surfaces.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A motor vehicle component comprising: a first component part comprising steel and a second component part comprising steel, wherein the first component part has a joining surface on an end portion and the second component part has a joining surface, the first component part and the second component part are adjacent to one another and connected at the respective joining surfaces facing one another by a weld seam, and the joining surface on the end portion of the first component part has a bevel, and a joining gap between the joining surface of the first component part and the joining surface of the second component part has a V-shaped configuration due to the bevel, and the end portion of the first component part has an abutment surface on a front side thereof, wherein the abutment surface runs substantially at right angles to a longitudinal axis of a wall of the first component part, and the abutment surface has a width measured at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the wall of the first component part, the width of the abutment surface being greater than a wall thickness of the wall of the first component part, and the first component part abuts the second component part with the abutment surface.

12. The motor vehicle component according to claim 11, wherein the second component part has a wall with a wall thickness, wherein the wall thickness of the wall of the first component part is greater than the wall thickness of the second component part.

13. The motor vehicle component according to claim 11, wherein the second component part has a wall with a wall thickness, wherein the wall thickness of the wall of the first component part is smaller than the wall thickness of the second component part.

14. The motor vehicle component according to claim 11, wherein the bevel is at an angle of 25 to 60 relative to the longitudinal axis to the wall of the first component part.

15. The motor vehicle component according to claim 11, wherein the bevel is in a longitudinal portion originating from a free end of the wall of the first component part.

16. A method of making a welded motor vehicle component, the method comprising: manufacturing a first component part with a joining surface, the joining surface having a bevel and an abutment surface; forming an end portion of an initial blank having a wall with a wall thickness, and forming a bevel on the end portion; trimming the end portion to form an abutment surface on a front side of the end portion; positioning the first component part and a second component part, which has a wall with a wall thickness and a joining surface, at an angle relative to one another, so the joining surface of the first component part and the joining surface of the second component part face one another; material-locking joining the first component part and the second component part by a weld seam at the respective joining surfaces.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the end portion is laterally displaced, bent, or embossed during the forming.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the initial blank is subjected to a further forming before or after the forming and the trimming of the end portion, wherein a cross-sectional configuration of the first component part is formed at least in regions thereof.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the trimming of the end portion is at a transverse angle, substantially at a right angle, to a longitudinal axis of the wall of the initial blank.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the wall thickness of the wall of the second component part is smaller than the wall thickness of the wall of the first component part.

Description

[0040] The present disclosure is described in more detail below with reference to drawings, as follows:

[0041] FIG. 1A to FIG. 1D show a technical schematic of the procedure for manufacturing a first component part with a joining surface which has a bevel and an abutment surface according to at least one of the embodiments;

[0042] FIG. 2A shows a section of the wall of a first component part and a section of the wall of a second component part before welding according to at least one of the embodiments;

[0043] FIG. 2B shows the component parts according to the representation in FIG. 2A after welding according to at least one of the embodiments;

[0044] FIG. 3 shows a twist beam axle in a perspective view according to at least one of the embodiments;

[0045] FIG. 4 is a view of the front side of the end portion of a torsion profile of a twist beam axle according to at least one of the embodiments; and

[0046] FIG. 5 is a view of the front side of the end portion of another embodiment of a torsion profile according to at least one of the embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The forming process for producing a first component part 1 of a motor vehicle component 2 is explained with reference to FIG. 1A to FIG. 1D. The motor vehicle component 2 is shown in FIG. 2B.

[0048] FIG. 1A shows an initial blank 3. The initial blank 3 has a wall 4 with a wall thickness t1.

[0049] An end portion 5 of the initial blank 3 is formed without cutting. The end portion 5 is plastically deformed and configured in an S-shape. In this way, a leg 6 with a bevel 7 and an end piece 8 running parallel to the longitudinal axis L of the wall 4 of the initial blank 3 are created at the end portion 5. This is shown in FIG. 1B. The end piece 8 is displaced laterally parallel to the longitudinal axis L of the wall 4.

[0050] FIG. 1C illustrates the trimming operation at the end portion 5. At end portion 5, an end trimming is performed. The cutting tool is indicated by reference numeral 9. The trimming is carried out at an angle perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of the wall 4 of the initial blank 3 along the trimming line B.

[0051] The trimming operation is carried out in the region of the leg 6 with the bevel 7. During trimming, the end piece 8 is removed. At the front end of the end portion 5, an abutment surface 10 is created which runs perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L.

[0052] FIG. 1D shows the finished trimmed first component part 1.

[0053] The abutment surface 10 has a width b measured at right angles to the longitudinal axis L of the wall 4 of the first component part 1, which is greater than the wall thickness t1 of the wall 4 of the first component part 1. The ratio of the wall thickness t1 of the wall 4 of the first component part 1 to the width b of the abutment surface 10 is between 1:1.1 and 1:1.5.

[0054] The bevel 7 has an axial length l. The axial length l of the bevel 7 is measured in the direction of the longitudinal axis L of the wall 4 of the torsion profile 1. The axial length l is measured in the region of the later joining connection. The bevel 7 runs at an angle from 25 to 60, or from 30 to 45 to the longitudinal axis L of the wall 4 of the first component part 1. The ratio of the axial length l of the bevel 7 to the wall thickness t1 of the wall of the first component part 1 is between 1:1 and 1:5. The bevel 7 is located on the side of the end portion 5 of the first component part, which forms the acute angle with the second component part 11.

[0055] To produce the motor vehicle component, a second component part 11 made of steel is provided. The second component part 11 has a wall 12 with a wall thickness t2. The wall thickness t1 of the wall 4 of the first component part 1 is greater than the wall thickness t2 of the wall 12 of the second component part 11.

[0056] The first component part 1 has a joining surface 13 at the end portion 5. The joining surface 13 comprises the bevel 7 and the front abutment surface 10.

[0057] The second component part 11 also has a joining surface 14.

[0058] The first component part 1 and the second component part 11 are materially joined together by a welded joint. To produce the welded joint, the first component part 1 and the second component part 11 are positioned relative to each other. This is shown in FIG. 2A. The first component part 1 and the second component part 11 are arranged at an angle to each other, for example, the first component part 1 abuts the second component part 11 obtusely at a right angle with a T-joint.

[0059] The joining surface 13 of the first component part 1 and the joining surface 14 of the second component part 11 face each other. The abutment surface 10 runs at right angles to the longitudinal axis L of the wall 4 of the first component part 1. The abutment surface 10 is oriented parallel to the joining surface 14 of the second component part 11. A V-shaped joining gap 15 is formed between the joining surface 13 of the first component part 1 and the joining surface 14 of the second component part 11. At the deepest point of the V-shaped joining gap 15 there is a gap portion 16 formed parallel between the abutting surface 10 and the joining surface 14 of the second component part 11. The bevel 7 runs at an acute angle relative to the front side 17. The bevel 7 ends at the front side 17. The abutting surface 10 adjoins the bevel 7 at an obtuse angle.

[0060] The material-locking joint connection is made via a weld seam 18, as shown in FIG. 2B. The bevel 7 and the V-shaped joining gap 15 make the weld seam 18 efficient, wherein a high penetration is achieved in the first component part 1.

[0061] The seam preparation and the forming of the bevel 7 in the joining surface 13 on the first component part 1 as well as the V-shaped configuration of the joining gap 15 create a welded connection between the first component part 1 and the second component part 11 with a quality and service life that meets the requirements. The penetration of the weld seam 18 on the first component part 1 is able to be increased without causing burn-through on the second component part 11. The weld seam 18 meets the highest strength requirements, whereby the overall service life of the motor vehicle component 2 is able to be increased without increasing its overall weight.

[0062] The motor vehicle component 2 is able to be a twist beam axle. In the twist beam axle, a first component part 1 in the form of a torsion profile is joined by welding at each end to a second component part 11 in the form of a side arm.

[0063] FIG. 3 shows a motor vehicle component 2 in the form of a twist beam axle with a first component part 1, which is the torsion profile, and second component parts 11, each of which is a side arm of the twist beam axle. The torsion profile has a wall 4 with a wall thickness t1. Each side arm has a wall 12 with a wall thickness t2. The wall thickness t1 of wall 4 of the torsion profile is able to be greater than the wall thickness t2 of a side arm. Please refer to the explanations regarding the representations in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The torsion profile has a U-shaped cross-section with two side legs 19 which are connected via a crest portion 20. The torsion profile abuts with the end portion 5 the wall 12 of a side arm. The joining surface 13 at the end portion 5 of the torsion profile is adapted to the outer contour of the wall 12 of the side arm.

[0064] The arrow P1 schematically shows the length of a side leg 19 with which the end portion 5 of the first component part 1 or of the torsion profile abuts the outer circumference of a side arm. This is approximately 180+/15 based on the circumference of the side arm, which has a round cross-section.

[0065] The arrow P2 indicates the length of a longitudinal portion 21 of the first component part 1 or of a side leg 19, in which the bevel 7 is provided on the inner side of the side leg 19. The bevel 7 is provided in the lower longitudinal portion 21 of the side leg 19. In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the bevel 7 extends over two thirds, for example, approximately half the length of a side leg 19. Relative to the cross-section of a side arm, the bevel 7 extends over a circumferential portion of approximately 90+/15. The bevel 7 is provided in the lower longitudinal portion 21 of a side leg 19, starting from the free leg end.

[0066] FIG. 4 shows a front view of the joining surface 13 at an end portion 5 of a first component part 1 in the form of a torsion profile. The torsion profile has a wall 4 with a wall thickness t1. A bevel 7 produced according to the present disclosure is provided in the joining surface 13 at the end portion 5 of the torsion profile. The bevel 7 runs on the inside of the side legs 19 of the torsion profile.

[0067] The bevel 7 is provided in the lower longitudinal portion 21 of the side leg 19 starting from the free leg end. The tangential length of the longitudinal portion 21 is indicated by the arrow P2. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the bevel 7 extends approximately over half the length of a side leg 19.

[0068] FIG. 5 shows a front view of the joining surface 13 in an alternative embodiment at the end portion 5 of a torsion profile 1. Unlike the embodiment according to FIG. 4, here the bevel 7 is arranged on the outside of the side legs 19 of the torsion profile. As with the other embodiments, the bevel 7 is produced by machining. The bevel 7 extends in a lower longitudinal portion 21 of each side leg 19 originating from the free leg end. Otherwise, the embodiment corresponds to that of FIG. 4 and the associated description.

[0069] The foregoing description of some embodiments of the disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The specifically described embodiments explain the principles and practical applications to enable one ordinarily skilled in the art to utilize various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.