Support for a footrest and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

Methods of forming components for vehicles in accordance with example aspects of the present disclosure include, among other things, forming components of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and hardening fillers. Sill and step assemblies are also disclosed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a bracket for a footboard and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] SUVs, trucks, and other vehicles such as four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles have relatively high ground clearance, meaning the floor is positioned relatively high above the ground. This increased ground clearance makes it difficult for some users to enter and exit the vehicle.

[0003] Footboards are known and are used to assist users when entering and exiting vehicles with high ground clearance. Footboards are typically attached to the vehicle body via metal brackets. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to an exemplary aspect of this disclosure, a method of forming a component for a vehicle includes forming a component of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and a hardened filler.

[0005] In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing method, the forming step includes using a hydraulic cylinder to extrude the component.

[0006] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the forming step includes mixing UHMWPE powder with a hardened filler and feeding the mixture into an extruder.

[0007] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the forming step includes heating the mixture within an extruder while a hydraulic cylinder applies pressure to the mixture to extrude the component.

[0008] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the extruded part is heated to between about 280°F and 300°F (between about 138°C and about 149°C), shaped, and cooled.

[0009] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the extruded component is shaped into a bracket for attaching a footboard to a vehicle body.

[0010] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the forming step includes molding the part.

[0011] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the forming step includes mixing UHMWPE powder with a hardened filler and placing the mixture in a mold cavity.

[0012] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the hardening filler includes at least one of glass fiber, basalt fiber, and carbon fiber.

[0013] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the hardening filler comprises a combination of basalt fibers and carbon fibers, each of which has a length between about 12 mm and about 25 mm (between about 0.5 inches and about 1.0 inch).

[0014] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the component is further formed of a coupling agent, a color masterbatch, and an ultraviolet (UV) light stabilizer.

[0015] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the coupling agent is a functionalized silane, the masterbatch is carbon black, and the UV light stabilizer is a hindered amine light stabilizer.

[0016] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the component is a bracket for connecting the footboard to the vehicle body.

[0017] According to another exemplary aspect of this disclosure, the bracket for attaching the footplate to the vehicle body includes ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and hardened filler.

[0018] In a further non-limiting embodiment of the aforementioned stent, the hardening filler includes at least one of glass fiber, basalt fiber, and carbon fiber.

[0019] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the aforementioned stents, the fibers have a length between about 12 mm and about 25 mm (between about 0.5 inches and about 1.0 inch).

[0020] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the aforementioned supports, the hardening filler comprises a combination of basalt fibers and carbon fibers, each of which has a length between about 12 mm and about 25 mm (between about 0.5 inches and about 1.0 inch).

[0021] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the aforementioned brackets, the bracket includes a footrest attachment portion and a vehicle body attachment portion that tends to be substantially perpendicular to the footrest attachment portion, and the bracket includes a bend between the footrest attachment portion and the vehicle body attachment portion.

[0022] According to another exemplary aspect of this disclosure, the footplate assembly includes a footplate and a bracket connected to the footplate. The bracket is formed of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and hardened filler.

[0023] In a further non-limiting embodiment of the aforementioned footboard assembly, the hardened filler includes at least one of glass fiber, basalt fiber, and carbon fiber, wherein the fiber has a length between about 12 mm and about 25 mm (between about 0.5 inches and about 1.0 inch). Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a rear perspective view of a vehicle with an exemplary footrest assembly.

[0025] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken at centerline 2-2 is shown, and an exemplary footboard assembly is illustrated in more detail.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of an exemplary bracket.

[0027] Figure 4 It is manufacturing Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for using the shown bracket. Specifically, Figure 4 An exemplary extrusion process is shown.

[0028] Figure 5 An exemplary extruder and related components are schematically shown.

[0029] Figure 6 It is manufacturing Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for using the shown bracket. Specifically, Figure 6 An exemplary compression molding process is shown.

[0030] Figure 7 An exemplary mold and related components are schematically shown. Detailed Implementation

[0031] This disclosure relates to a footrest bracket and a method for manufacturing the same. Footrests and footrest brackets are commonly found on trucks, SUVs, and other vehicles with relatively high ground clearance. The disclosed bracket is made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and hardened filler. The resulting bracket exhibits high impact resistance and high rigidity, while also performing well at low temperatures.

[0032] Refer to the attached diagram. Figure 1 This is a rear-view perspective view of motor vehicle 10. Vehicle 10 has a relatively high ground clearance C, which is the distance between the ground and the floor of vehicle 10. As shown, vehicle 10 is a truck. Although the accompanying drawing shows a truck, this disclosure also applies to sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and other vehicle types with high ground clearance.

[0033] Vehicle 10 has a footrest assembly 12, which includes a footrest 14 and first and second brackets 16, 18 connecting the footrest 14 to a vehicle body 20, the vehicle body including a frame and panels of vehicle 10. In one example, the length of the footrest 14 corresponds to the width of a door 21 of vehicle 10. The first and second brackets 16, 18 support the footrest 14, allowing a user to step on the footrest 14 when entering or exiting vehicle 10. In this example, two brackets are connected to the footrest 14; however, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to providing two brackets. This disclosure extends to providing one or more brackets.

[0034] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 The cross-sectional view taken at centerline 2-2 shows the arrangement of the footplate 14 associated with a footplate bracket 18. Figure 3 A perspective view of the footplate bracket 18 is shown, while the footplate 14 is not shown for ease of reference. Although Figure 2 and Figure 3 The footplate bracket 18 is shown. It should be understood that... Figure 2 and Figure 3 This is also a layout view of the footplate bracket 16.

[0035] Common Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 In this example, the footrest bracket 18 is substantially L-shaped. Specifically, the footrest bracket 18 includes a footrest attachment portion 22 and a vehicle body attachment portion 24 that tends to be substantially perpendicular to the footrest attachment portion 22. The footrest bracket 18 includes a bend 26 between the footrest attachment portion 22 and the vehicle body attachment portion 24. Figure 3 As shown, the footrest bracket 18 includes holes 28 in the footrest attachment portion 22 and the vehicle body attachment portion 24. The holes 28 receive fasteners that connect the footrest bracket 18 to the footrest 14 and the vehicle body 20. In other examples, no holes are present, and the footrest bracket 18 is attached to the footrest 14 and the vehicle body 20 in a different manner.

[0036] In this example, the footplate bracket 18 includes a plurality of ribs 30 as a result of the extrusion process. The ribs 30 increase the overall rigidity of the footplate bracket 18. The footplate bracket 18 can be configured in different shapes, and this disclosure is not limited to footplate brackets having the shapes shown.

[0037] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a first exemplary method for forming a component for a vehicle. In this disclosure, the component is a footrest bracket, such as footrest brackets 16 and 18. This disclosure is not limited to footrest brackets and can be extended to other vehicle components that would benefit from increased impact resistance, increased stiffness, and increased low-temperature performance.

[0038] exist Figure 4 In this process, the component is formed from a mixture comprising ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and a hardening filler. UHMWPE material has relatively long polymer chains, with a molecular weight typically between 3.5 and 7.5 million uniform atomic mass units (amu). These relatively long polymer chains are used to efficiently transfer loads, resulting in a tough material with high impact strength. When combined with the hardening filler, the resulting mixture exhibits increased stiffness and can therefore be used to form tough, impact-resistant, and sufficiently rigid components for use in vehicles, such as footrest brackets.

[0039] Figure 4 Method 32 shown includes using a hydraulic cylinder to extrude components. This disclosure is not limited to extrusion methods, but extends to methods such as compression molding. Figure 6 Manufacturing methods for UHMWPE include extrusion molding and compression molding. Both methods allow for the formation of components from UHMWPE without compromising the beneficial material properties of UHMWPE during processing. In other words, these manufacturing methods are less likely to disrupt the relatively long polymer chains in the UHMWPE material.

[0040] Figure 5 An exemplary extrusion apparatus is schematically illustrated. The apparatus includes an extruder 34 having a hydraulic cylinder 36 connected to a frame 38. A material mixture held in a mixer 40 is selectively fed into the extruder 34 via a chute 42 and a hopper 44. In one example, the mixer 40 is configured to continuously feed material into the extruder 34. The extruder 34 further includes a heating shroud 46 and a die 48. When the hydraulic cylinder 36 is activated, the extruder 34 produces a workpiece 50.

[0041] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 In method 32, at point 52, at least the mixture of UHMWPE powder 54 and hardening filler 56 is mixed and held in mixer 40. In this example, the hardening filler 56 is provided by at least one of glass fiber, basalt fiber, and carbon fiber. In other words, the hardening filler 56 may comprise one or more of glass fiber, basalt fiber, and carbon fiber. If carbon fiber is used, the carbon fiber may be recyclable carbon fiber, or it may be a combination of new carbon fiber and recyclable carbon fiber. In one example, the hardening filler 56 is made of fibers having a length between about 12 mm and 25 mm (between about 0.5 inches and 1.0 inch). In a particular example, the hardening filler 56 comprises a combination of basalt fiber and carbon fiber, and each of the basalt fiber and carbon fiber has a length between about 12 mm and 25 mm.

[0042] In addition to UHMWPE powder 54 and hardened filler 56, the mixture within mixer 40 may also include coupling agent 58, coloring concentrate 60, and ultraviolet (UV) light stabilizer 62. Exemplary coupling agents include organofunctional silanes, such as siloxanes or maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene. Coupling agent 58 is used to couple the organic polymer to the inorganic material, which increases the bonding between UHMWPE powder 54 and hardened filler 56. In most examples, since most parts are black, coloring concentrate 60 is carbon black; however, other colorants are also within the scope of this disclosure. Finally, UV light stabilizer 62 may be a hindered amine light stabilizer and is used to protect the manufactured parts from degradation due to UV light exposure.

[0043] In one example of this disclosure, the mixture comprises 67% by mass UHMWPE powder and 30% by mass of hardened filler. The hardened filler itself comprises 15% by mass carbon fiber and 15% by mass basalt fiber. Additionally, 1.5% of the mixture is provided by a coupling agent, and 1.5% is provided by a color masterbatch and a UV light stabilizer (both by mass percentage).

[0044] Continuing with method 32, at point 64, the mixture from mixer 40 continues to be fed into extruder 34 via chute 42 and hopper 44 in the extrusion process. At point 64, the mixture is heated by heating shroud 46 and extruded through die 48 under pressure from hydraulic cylinder 36. For example, the resulting workpiece 50 is straight and requires further processing to resemble one of supports 16, 18. Therefore, at point 66, in one example, workpiece 50 is heated to between approximately 280°F and 300°F (between approximately 138°C and approximately 149°C) and bent to provide a substantially L-shape, such as... Figures 2 to 3 As shown. The component is then allowed to cool.

[0045] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a second exemplary method 70 for forming components for a vehicle. Figure 7 An exemplary mold 72 is schematically shown. (Reference) Figure 7 The mold 72 includes an upper mold half 74 and a lower mold half 76. The lower mold half 76 is shaped to include a cavity 78 configured to receive a powder mixture 80, such as the mixture described above. The lower mold half 76 may also include an ejector pin 82 to facilitate the removal of the workpiece.

[0046] In method 70, at step 84, the powder mixture 80 is disposed in the mold cavity 78. Alternatively, the powder mixture 80 may be the same powder mixture described above, including UHMWPE powder, hardening filler, coupling agent, color masterbatch, and UV light stabilizer. At step 86, a compression molding process forms the powder mixture 80 into a component, such as supports 16, 18. In an exemplary process, the upper and lower mold halves 74, 76 are pressed together and a pressure between approximately 2 MPa and 10 MPa (between approximately 290 psi and 1,450 psi) is applied to the powder mixture while the mold 72 is maintained at a temperature between approximately 200°C and 230°C (between approximately 392°F and 446°F).

[0047] Components produced from any of the above processes offer increased durability and increased temperature resistance. In particular, the produced components exhibit increased ductility and retain their ductility at low temperatures such as -40°C (-40°F). The produced components also have a relatively low density, which allows for a significant reduction in weight. In one example, the produced component exhibits a density of approximately 13% that of steel, resulting in a weight reduction of approximately 50% relative to steel.

[0048] It should be understood that terms such as “approximately,” “basically,” and “roughly” are not intended to be unbounded terms and should be interpreted in accordance with the way that a person skilled in the art would interpret these terms.

[0049] Although the different examples have the specific components shown in the illustrations, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to these specific combinations. Combinations of some components or elements from one example with components or elements from another example may be used.

[0050] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments are exemplary and not restrictive. That is, modifications of this disclosure will fall within the scope of the claims. Therefore, the following claims should be studied to determine their true scope and content.

Claims

1. A method of forming a component for a vehicle, comprising: A component comprising ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and a hardened filler, wherein the component is a bracket for connecting a pedal to a vehicle body, the hardened filler comprising a combination of basalt fibers and carbon fibers, each of the basalt fibers and the carbon fibers having a length between 12 mm and 25 mm.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The forming step includes extruding the component using a hydraulic cylinder.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The forming step includes mixing ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene powder with the hardened filler and feeding the mixture into an extruder.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The forming step includes heating the mixture within the extruder while the hydraulic cylinder applies pressure to the mixture to extrude the component.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The extruded part is heated to between 138°C and 149°C, shaped, and cooled.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The forming step includes molding the component.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The forming step includes mixing ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene powder with the hardening filler and placing the mixture in a mold cavity.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The hardening filler also includes glass fiber.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The component is further formed from coupling agent, color masterbatch and ultraviolet light stabilizer.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The coupling agent is a functionalized silane, the masterbatch is carbon black, and the ultraviolet light stabilizer is a hindered amine light stabilizer.

11. A bracket for attaching a footrest to a vehicle body, comprising: Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and a hardening filler, wherein the hardening filler comprises a combination of basalt fibers and carbon fibers, each of the basalt fibers and the carbon fibers having a length between 12 mm and 25 mm.

12. The stent according to claim 11, wherein, The hardening filler also includes glass fiber.

13. The stent according to claim 12, wherein, The fibers have a length between 12 mm and 25 mm.

14. The stent according to claim 11, wherein: The bracket includes a footrest attachment and a vehicle body attachment that is substantially perpendicular to the footrest attachment. The bracket includes a curved portion between the footrest attachment portion and the vehicle body attachment portion.

15. A footboard assembly, comprising: Footboard; as well as A bracket connected to the footplate is formed of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and a hardened filler, wherein the hardened filler comprises a combination of basalt fibers and carbon fibers, each of the basalt fibers and the carbon fibers having a length between 12 mm and 25 mm.

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