Underbody manufacturing method and vehicle underbody

• US 10,450,007 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2016
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Inventors: Wu, Tai-Te
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Joseph D.
• Application Number:
  US15/271,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20170008572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 29618708, 29619307, 296204, 29620301, 2961841, 298972
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 22/02 Stamping using rigid devices or tools
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 5/00 Bending sheet metal along straight lines, e.g. to form simple curves B21D11/06 - B21D11/18 take precedence; corrugating sheet metal B21D13/00; as edge treatment B21D19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/006 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/18 Sheet panels
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 31/02 relating to soldering or welding dip or wave soldering in the manufacture of printed circuits H05K3/34
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/20 Floors or bottom sub-units sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11; drip trays F16N31/006
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/2054 Load carrying floors for commercial vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 27/023 Assembly of structural joints
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/02 Joining sub-units or components to, or positioning sub-units or components with respect to, body shell or other sub-units or components

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an underbody manufacturing method and a vehicle underbody. The method includes determining dimensions for the vehicle underbody and underbody panels, selecting the underbody panels, putting the underbody panels in a stamping die for stamping to form concave and convex parts on the underbody panels, welding the stamped underbody panels to splice the underbody in the length direction and/or the width direction, so as to make the underbody reach the determined length and width. Underbodies with various dimensions can be formed using the same stamping die, and accordingly, die cost is saved and vehicle development time is shortened, which provides convenience for diversified body designs on the whole.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a vehicle panel, the method comprising:

determining dimensions for the vehicle panel, the dimensions for the vehicle panel including a length and a width;

determining dimensions for multiple underbody sub-panels, wherein each of the multiple underbody sub-panels has a same dimension that is smaller than the dimension for the vehicle panel so that the individual one of the multiple underbody sub-panels fits into a same stamping die;

producing the multiple underbody sub-panels according to the determined dimensions for the multiple underbody sub-panels;

putting the multiple underbody sub-panels in the same stamping die for stamping to form concave parts and convex parts on the multiple underbody sub-panels; and

welding the stamped multiple underbody sub-panels to form the vehicle panel which is spliced by the multiple underbody sub-panels in the length direction and/or the width direction, so as to make the vehicle panel reach the determined length and width.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determined dimensions of each underbody panel in the multiple underbody sub-panels is smaller than or equal to that of the largest underbody panel capable of being stamped by the stamping die; and

the determined length and width of the vehicle panel is larger than or equal to that of the largest underbody panel capable of being stamped by the stamping die.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein dividing the multiple underbody sub-panels includes cutting a plate material with a larger dimension to form each of the multiple underbody sub-panels.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determined length of the vehicle panel is larger than the length of the largest underbody panel capable of being stamped by the stamping die;

producing the multiple underbody sub-panels comprises;

cutting a plate material along the length direction to form each of the multiple underbody sub-panels; and

the stamped multiple underbody sub-panels are welded along the width direction to splice the vehicle panel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determined width of the vehicle panel is larger than the width of the largest underbody panel capable of being stamped by the stamping die;

producing the multiple underbody sub-panels comprises;

cutting a plate material along the length direction to form each of the multiple underbody sub-panels; and

the stamped multiple underbody sub-panels are welded along the length direction to splice the vehicle panel.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding one or more structural reinforcement cross beams in the width direction of the vehicle panel.

7. The method claim 1, further comprising:

adding a side sill to each side of the vehicle panel along the length direction of the vehicle panel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein welding the stamped multiple underbody sub-panels includes welding concave parts of any two adjacent underbody sub-panels, and the welding surface is located on the upper sides of the concave parts.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the dimensions for the multiple underbody sub-panels are determined based on the dimensions for the vehicle panel and an arrangement of seats that are loaded on the vehicle panel.

10. A vehicle panel comprising:

multiple underbody sub-panels, wherein each of the multiple underbody sub-panels has a same dimension that is smaller than the dimension for the vehicle panel so that the individual one of the multiple underbody sub-panels fits into a same stamping die;

concave parts and convex parts on the multiple underbody sub-panels, wherein the concave parts and convex parts are formed using the same stamping die;

a welded joint between the multiple underbody sub-panels, forming the vehicle panel, wherein the vehicle panel is spliced by the multiple underbody sub-panels in the length direction and/or the width direction, so as to make the vehicle panel reach the determined length and width.

11. The vehicle panel of claim 10, wherein the concave parts and convex parts on the multiple underbody sub-panels are formed using the same stamping die.

12. The vehicle panel of claim 11, wherein:

the determined dimensions of each underbody panel in the multiple underbody sub-panels is smaller than or equal to that of the largest underbody panel capable of being stamped by the stamping die; and

the determined length and width of the vehicle panel is larger than or equal to that of the largest underbody panel capable of being stamped by the stamping die.

13. The vehicle panel of claim 10, wherein the multiple underbody sub-panels are cut from a plate material with a larger dimension to form each of the multiple underbody sub-panels.

14. The vehicle panel of claim 12, wherein:

the vehicle panel is spliced by the multiple underbody sub-panels;

the determined length of the vehicle panel is larger than the length of the largest underbody panel capable of being stamped by the stamping die;

the multiple underbody sub-panels are cut from a plate material along the length direction to form each of the two underbody sub-panels; and

the multiple underbody sub-panels are welded along the width direction to splice the vehicle panel.

15. The vehicle panel of claim 12, wherein:

the vehicle panel is spliced by the multiple underbody sub-panels;

the determined width of the vehicle panel is larger than the width of the largest underbody panel capable of being stamped by the stamping die;

the two underbody sub-panels are cut from a plate material along the width direction to form each of the multiple underbody sub-panels; and

the multiple underbody sub-panels are welded along the length direction to splice the vehicle panel.

16. The vehicle panel of claim 12, wherein:

the vehicle panel is spliced by four underbody sub-panels;

the determined length and width of the vehicle panel are respectively larger than the length and the width of the largest underbody panel capable of being stamped by the stamping die;

the four underbody sub-panels are cut from a plate material along the length direction and/or the width direction to form each of the four underbody sub-panels; and

the four underbody sub-panels are welded along the length direction and the width direction to splice the vehicle panel.

17. The vehicle panel of claim 10, further comprising:

one or more structural reinforcement cross beams in the width direction of the vehicle panel.

18. The vehicle panel of claim 10, wherein the welded joint joins concave parts of any two adjacent underbody sub-panels, and the welded joint is located on the upper sides of the concave parts.