Flanged member

Abstract

To provide a flanged member used for an automobile member that is excellent in joining workability, for example, when manufacturing an automobile and is also excellent in durability.SOLUTION: An automobile component 90A, which is a flanged member, has a tubular shape and includes a flange portion 92. The automobile component 90A has a cross-section changing portion 902 a cross-sectional shape of which is changed along an axial direction. In any two cross sections of the cross-section changing portion 92, a circumferential length of one cross section is 1.25 times or less a circumferential length of the other cross section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flanged member. [Background technology]

[0002] Steering members are known as frames that form the framework of an automobile (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The steering member described in Patent Document 1 is basically cylindrical in shape as a whole. This steering member includes, for example, a steering support that supports a steering column, a bracket that is connected to a dash panel, and an instrument stay that is connected to a floor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-22214 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When providing the steering support, bracket, and instrument stay to the steering member described in Patent Document 1, it is expected that the members will be joined together by arc welding. However, arc welding generally has problems in that it is costly to join the members together and requires a jig to position the members together, which tends to reduce the ease of joining work.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a flanged member that can be used as an automobile component, which has excellent joining workability during automobile manufacturing, for example, and excellent durability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One embodiment of the flanged member of the present invention is a tubular flanged member having a flange portion, A cross-sectional shape of the flanged member is changed along the axial direction of the flanged member. Any two cross sections in the cross section change portion are characterized in that the perimeter of one cross section is 1.25 times or less the perimeter of the other cross section. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the perimeter of one of any two cross sections in the cross-sectional change portion falls within a range of 1.25 times or less the perimeter of the other cross section. By satisfying such a numerical range, the flanged member is prevented from forming a thin-walled portion. As a result, when the flanged member is used as an automobile component, for example, the automobile component becomes a component with excellent durability that can withstand the operating environment of the automobile in which it is installed.

[0008] In addition, other automotive components can be easily joined to the flange portion. For example, spot welding can be used for the joining. Spot welding generally reduces the cost of joining components together compared to arc welding. In addition, a jig is usually used to position the components together in arc welding, but the use of the jig can be omitted in spot welding. In this way, automotive components that can be spot-welded are components that have excellent joining workability with other automotive components. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an automobile component. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a view seen from the direction of arrow i in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a view seen from the direction of arrow ii in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a view seen from the direction of arrow iii in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line iv-iv in FIG. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line vv in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line vi-vi in ​​FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line vii-vii in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view showing in sequence the operating states (mold open state) of the molding apparatus (first embodiment). [Figure 10] 10A to 10C are vertical sectional views sequentially showing an operating state (first intermediate state) of the molding device (first embodiment). [Figure 11] 11A to 11C are vertical sectional views sequentially showing the operating states (second intermediate state) of the molding apparatus (first embodiment). [Figure 12] 12A to 12C are vertical sectional views sequentially showing the operating states (third intermediate state) of the molding apparatus (first embodiment). [Figure 13] 13A to 13C are vertical sectional views sequentially showing the operating states (fourth intermediate state) of the molding apparatus (first embodiment). [Figure 14] 14A to 14C are vertical sectional views sequentially showing the operating states (fifth intermediate state) of the molding apparatus (first embodiment). [Figure 15] 15A to 15C are vertical sectional views sequentially showing the operating states (mold clamping state) of the molding apparatus (first embodiment). [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of an automobile component. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a vertical sectional view showing a molding apparatus (second embodiment). [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of an automobile member. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a fourth embodiment of an automobile member. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a vertical sectional view showing a molding apparatus (third embodiment). [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing a fifth embodiment of an automobile component. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a plan view showing a molding apparatus (fourth embodiment). [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a sixth embodiment of an automobile component. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing an example of use of the automobile member shown in FIG. [Diagram 25] FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing an example of use of another automobile member. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is an enlarged perspective view of the area [A] surrounded by the two-dot chain line in FIG. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is an enlarged plan view of the area [A] enclosed by the two-dot chain line in FIG. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a fifth embodiment of a molding device. [Figure 29] FIG. 29 is a block diagram of the molding apparatus shown in FIG. [Diagram 30] 30A to 30C are vertical cross-sectional views (cross-sectional views taken along line BB and line CC in FIG. 28) sequentially showing the operating state (mold open state) of the molding apparatus shown in FIG. [Diagram 31] 31A to 31C are vertical cross-sectional views (cross-sectional views taken along line BB and line CC in FIG. 28) sequentially showing operating states (intermediate states) of the molding device shown in FIG. [Diagram 32] 32A to 32C are vertical cross-sectional views (cross-sectional views taken along line BB and line CC in FIG. 28) sequentially showing the operating state (mold clamping state) of the molding apparatus shown in FIG. [Diagram 33] FIG. 33 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a sixth embodiment of a molding device. [Diagram 34] 34A to 34C are vertical cross-sectional views (cross-sectional views taken along line DD and line EE in FIG. 33) sequentially showing the operating state (mold open state) of the molding apparatus shown in FIG. [Diagram 35] 35A to 35C are vertical cross-sectional views (cross-sectional views taken along line DD and line EE in FIG. 33) sequentially showing operating states (intermediate states) of the molding device shown in FIG. [Diagram 36] 36A to 36C are vertical cross-sectional views (cross-sectional views taken along line DD and line EE in FIG. 33) sequentially showing the operating state (mold clamping state) of the molding apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 37] FIG. 37 is a perspective view sequentially showing an operating state (before the enlarged diameter portion is formed) of the forming apparatus (seventh embodiment). [Figure 38] FIG. 38 is a perspective view sequentially showing an operating state (during formation of the enlarged diameter portion) of the forming apparatus (seventh embodiment). [Figure 39] FIG. 39 is a perspective view showing the molding apparatus (seventh embodiment) in an operating state (before the flange portion is formed). [Diagram 40] FIG. 40 is a perspective view showing the forming apparatus (seventh embodiment) in an operating state (during the formation of the flange portion). [Diagram 41] FIG. 41 is a perspective view showing the molding apparatus (seventh embodiment) in an operating state (after the flange portion is formed). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A flanged member according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. <First embodiment of automotive component> A first embodiment of a flanged member of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8. For ease of explanation, the left side in Figures 1 to 3 will be referred to as "left (or left side)" and the right side as "right (right side)". Furthermore, the upper side in Figures 1 and 4 to 8 will be referred to as "upper (or upper side)" and the lower side as "lower (or lower side)".

[0011] 1 shows an automobile part 90A to which the flanged member of the present invention is applied. The automobile part 90A has a pipe part 91 and a flange part 92. The automobile part 90A is made of a metal material such as an iron-carbon alloy. As described below, the automotive component 90A, i.e., the flanged component of the present invention, is obtained by hot blow molding a tubular body, which is a base material 90', using a molding device 20, which will be described later. Whether the automotive component 90A is obtained by hot blow molding the base material 90' (tubular body) can be determined, for example, by checking the internal composition of the automotive component 90A with an electron microscope. In this case, it can be seen that the automotive component 90A is a compression molded product, and not, for example, an extrusion molded product.

[0012] 1 to 3, the pipe portion 91 is tubular and extends linearly from the left side to the right side. The cross-sectional shape of the pipe portion 91 is not particularly limited, but for example, in this embodiment, the pipe portion 91 is a quadrangle (rectangle) with rounded corners as shown in FIGS. 5 to 8. Therefore, in this embodiment, the pipe portion 91 can also be called a "rectangular portion." In this specification, the term "tubular" also includes a state in which the space is continuous from the pipe portion 91 to the tunnel portion 907 as shown in FIG.

[0013] 4, flange portions 92 are integrally formed as protruding plates on the lower outer periphery of the pipe portion 91. The flange portions 92 are formed on both sides in the width direction of the pipe portion 91. The flange portions 92 protrude in opposite directions.

[0014] 2, each flange portion 92 is formed along the central axis (axis) O91 of the pipe portion 91 (base material 90′). In this embodiment, each flange portion 92 is formed from the left end 911 of the pipe portion 91 to partway along the central axis O91 of the pipe portion 91, and the formation of each flange portion 92 is omitted from the partway up to the right end 912 of the pipe portion 91.

[0015] In addition, each flange portion 92 has a constant width portion 921 in which the width (protrusion amount) W92 is constant along the direction of the central axis O91, and a width changing portion (gradually decreasing width portion) 922 in which the width (protrusion amount) W92 changes along the direction of the central axis O91, i.e., gradually decreases from the constant width portion 912 side toward the right end 912 side.

[0016] On the other hand, the pipe portion 91 also has a constant height portion 913 whose height H91 is constant along the central axis O91, a height change portion (gradual height increase portion) 914 whose height H91 changes along the central axis O91, i.e., gradually increases from the constant height portion 913 side toward the right end 912 side, and a constant height portion 915 whose height H91 is constant along the central axis O91. The constant height portion 915 is higher than the constant height portion 913. The constant height portion 913 is formed with a constant width portion 921 of the flange portion 92, and the height change portion 914 is formed with a width change portion 922 of the flange portion 92. The pipe portion 91 has a constant width W91 along the central axis O91 over the entire length. As a result, the constant height portion 913, the height change portion 914, and the constant height portion 915 each have the same width W91.

[0017] Therefore, the automobile component 90A has three portions according to the cross-sectional shape, namely, a constant cross-section portion 901, a varying cross-section portion 902, and a constant cross-section portion 903 (see FIG. 1 and FIGS. 5 to 8).

[0018] 5, the constant cross-section portion 901 includes a constant height portion 913 of the pipe portion 91 and a constant width portion 921 of the flange portion 92. As described above, the constant height portion 913 has a constant height H91 along the central axis O91, and the constant width portion 921 has a constant width W92 along the central axis O91. This makes the cross-sectional shape of the varying cross-section portion 902 constant along the central axis O91.

[0019] 8, the constant cross-section portion 903 includes a constant height portion 915 of the pipe portion 91. As described above, the constant height portion 915 has a constant height H91 along the central axis O91. This makes the cross-sectional shape of the constant cross-section portion 903 constant along the central axis O91.

[0020] A varying cross-section portion 902 is located between the constant cross-section portion 901 and the constant cross-section portion 903. As shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, the varying cross-section portion 902 includes a height changing portion 914 of the pipe portion 91 and a width changing portion 922 of the flange portion 92. As described above, the height H91 of the height changing portion 914 changes along the central axis O91, and the width W92 of the width changing portion 922 also changes along the central axis O91. As a result, the varying cross-section portion 902 becomes a portion whose cross-sectional shape changes continuously along the central axis O91.

[0021] When the circumferential lengths of any two cross sections (for example, the cross section shown in FIG. 6 and the cross section shown in FIG. 7) in the cross section changing portion 902 are compared, the following relationship is satisfied. Note that the "circumferential length" refers to the outermost periphery length in the cross section. The circumferential length of the cross section shown in FIG. 6 is PM6, and the circumferential length of the cross section shown in FIG. 7 is PM7.

[0022] The circumference PM6 (≧PM7) is in the range of 1 to 1.25 times the circumference PM7, and preferably in the range of 1 to less than 1.1 times the circumference PM7. Hereinafter, this numerical range will be referred to as the "perimeter numerical range." In the automotive component 90A, the height of the pipe portion 91 is increased or decreased according to the width of the flange portion 92, thereby keeping the circumference within this numerical range.

[0023] If the circumference exceeds the upper limit of the range of values, the cross-sectional change portion 902 of the automobile component 90A will be excessively stretched and deformed. As a result, a thin-walled portion will be generated in the cross-sectional change portion 902, and the strength of the thin-walled portion will decrease. If such an automobile component 90A is installed in an automobile, it may break depending on the environment in which the automobile is used, and therefore the automobile component 90A cannot be used. In contrast, by satisfying the circumference value range, the formation of thin-walled parts is prevented in the automobile component 90A, and the automobile component 90A is thus a component with excellent durability that can withstand the operating environment of the automobile in which it is mounted.

[0024] Further, for example, other plate-shaped automobile parts may be joined to the flange portion 92 of the automobile component 90A. The joining method is not particularly limited, but a welding method may be used. In this example, in order to join the plate-shaped flange portion 92 to the other plate-shaped automobile part, spot welding can be used in particular. Spot welding generally reduces joining costs more than arc welding. In addition, in arc welding, a jig is usually used to position the members to be joined, but in spot welding, the use of the jig can be omitted. The automobile component 90A that can be used for spot welding in this way is a member that is excellent in joining workability with other automobile parts.

[0025] <First embodiment of molding device> Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the molding device will be described with reference to Figs. 9 to 15. For ease of explanation, three mutually orthogonal axes are set as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. As an example, an XY plane including the X-axis and Y-axis is horizontal, and the Z-axis is vertical. The positive side of the Z-axis direction may be referred to as "up (or upward)" and the negative side of the Z-axis direction may be referred to as "down (or downward)". The negative side of the X-axis direction may be referred to as "left (or leftward)" and the positive side of the X-axis direction may be referred to as "right (or rightward)".

[0026] As shown in Fig. 9 to Fig. 15, the forming apparatus 20 includes an apparatus main body 30 and a flange portion adjustment member 40. The forming apparatus 20 can form a base material 90' into an automobile component 90A. In Fig. 9 to Fig. 15, a portion for forming the base material 90' into a iv-iv cross section (Fig. (A)), a portion for forming the base material 90' into a vv cross section (Fig. (B)), a portion for forming the base material 90' into a vi-vi cross section (Fig. (C)), and a portion for forming the base material 90' into a vii-vii cross section (Fig. (D)) are representatively shown, from the left.

[0027] The device body 30 includes a first mold 50 disposed on the upper side and a second mold 60 disposed on the lower side. The first mold 50 is supported so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction, and the second mold 60 is fixed. This allows the first mold 50 to approach and move away from the second mold 60.

[0028] The first mold 50 includes a first mold 50A shown in Fig. (A), a first mold 50B shown in Fig. (B), a first mold 50C shown in Fig. (C), and a first mold 50D shown in Fig. (D). Each of the first molds 50A to 50D is divided into a first member 501 located on the left side, a second member 502 located on the right side, and a third member 503 located between the first member 501 and the second member 502.

[0029] The third member 503 is supported so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction independently with respect to the first member 501 and the second member 502. The third member 503 is also formed with a recess 504 for molding the pipe portion 91. The recess 504 of the third member 503 of the first mold 50A is the deepest, and the recesses 504 of the third members 503 of the first mold 50B to first mold 50D have the same depth. The second mold 60 is commonly used in FIGS.

[0030] The flange portion adjustment members 40 include two flange portion adjustment members 40B shown in FIG. (B), two flange portion adjustment members 40C shown in FIG. (C), and two flange portion adjustment members 40D shown in FIG. (D). Each flange portion adjustment member 40B is disposed between the first mold 50B and the second mold 60, and is supported so as to be movable in the X-axis direction. Each flange portion adjustment member 40C is disposed between the first mold 50C and the second mold 60, and is supported so as to be movable in the X-axis direction. Each flange portion adjustment member 40D is disposed between the first mold 50D and the second mold 60, and is supported so as to be movable in the X-axis direction.

[0031] In addition, flange portion adjustment member 40B, flange portion adjustment member 40C, and flange portion adjustment member 40D are block-shaped and have different heights. In molding device 20, flange portion adjustment member 40B is the lowest, flange portion adjustment member 40D is the highest, and flange portion adjustment member 40C is at an intermediate height between flange portion adjustment member 40B and flange portion adjustment member 40D.

[0032] The molding apparatus 20 operates as follows. 9, the first mold 50 and the second mold 60 are opened, and a base material 90' is placed between the first mold 50 and the second mold 60. In this embodiment, the base material 90' is a tubular body having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape. Then, with the molds still open, the base material 90' is heated and softened. At this time, each flange portion adjustment member 40 is retracted and farthest from the base material 90'. This makes it possible to prevent each flange portion adjustment member 40 from being heated.

[0033] 10, the first die 50 is lowered to bring each of the third members 503 into contact with the base material 90'. At this time, the upper portion of the base material 90' enters the recessed portion 504 of each of the third members 503, and the distance from the second die 60 becomes constant from FIG. 10(A) to FIG. 10(D). Furthermore, each flange portion adjustment member 40 moves to come into contact with the base material 90′, and is pressed from below against the third member 503 by a spring mechanism (not shown) or the like. As a result, the upper portion of each flange portion adjustment member 40 enters between the first member 501 and the second member 502.

[0034] Next, as shown in FIG. 11, when the first mold 50 is further lowered, the base material 90' comes into contact with the second mold 60 and starts to deform, that is, is crushed. The deformed portion of the base material 90' is a protruding portion 904 protruding (exposed) from the recess 504 in FIG. 11, a protruding portion 905 protruding from between the flange portion adjustment members 40B in FIG. 11, and a protruding portion 906 protruding from between the flange portion adjustment members 40C in FIG. 11. The protruding amount of the protruding portion 904 is the largest, followed by the protruding portion 905 and the protruding portion 906 in FIG. 11. Note that, as shown in FIG. 11, the base material 90' does not protrude from between the flange portion adjustment members 40D, and is therefore not deformed.

[0035] Next, gas is supplied into the base material 90' to start the primary blowing, which causes all of the protruding portions 904 to 906 to expand in the X-axis direction, as shown in FIG. Next, while supplying gas into the base material 90' for a predetermined time, the first die 50 is further lowered as shown in FIG. 13. The amount of descent of each of the third members at this time is not uniform but is adjusted appropriately. Thereafter, the supply of gas into the base material 90' is temporarily stopped. As a result, the protruding portions 904 to 906 all further expand in the X-axis direction. The amount of expansion in the X-axis direction is the largest for the protruding portion 904, followed by the protruding portion 905 and the protruding portion 906, in that order.

[0036] Next, while the supply of gas into the base material 90' is stopped, the first die 50 is further lowered as shown in Fig. 14. As a result, the protruding portion 904 is crushed between the third member 503 and the second die 60, the protruding portion 905 is crushed between the flange portion adjustment member 40B and the second die 60, and the protruding portion 906 is crushed between the flange portion adjustment member 40C and the second die 60.

[0037] Next, gas is supplied into the base material 90' to start the secondary blowing, thereby forming the pipe portions 91 over their entire length between each recess 504 and the second die 6, as shown in FIG. In addition, with the secondary blow, the first die 50 is further lowered. As a result, the protruding portion 904 is flattened between the third member 503 and the second die 60 to become a flange portion 92. This flange portion 92 is a constant width portion 921.

[0038] Similarly, the protruding portion 905 is further crushed between the flange portion adjustment member 40B and the second mold 60 to become the flange portion 92, and the protruding portion 906 is also crushed between the flange portion adjustment member 40C and the second mold 60 to become the flange portion 92. This flange portion 92 is a width-changing portion 922. Next, the automobile component 90A is rapidly cooled, after which the mold is opened again and the automobile component 90A is taken out.

[0039] Through the above-mentioned steps, the automobile component 90A can be formed. As described above, the flange portion 92 is a plate-like portion formed by crushing a part of the base material 90' and overlapping the tube walls of the base material 90'. This increases the strength of the automobile component 90A at the flange portion 92, and the automobile component 90A can withstand practical use when mounted on an automobile. Furthermore, since the molding device 20 cannot fully adjust the width W92 of the flange portion 92 simply by appropriately adjusting the height of each flange portion adjustment member 40, it makes it possible to adjust the width W92 by appropriately adjusting the amount of descent of each third member.

[0040] <Second embodiment of automotive component> A second embodiment of the flanged member of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 16. The differences from the embodiment described above will be mainly described, and descriptions of similar points will be omitted.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 16, an automobile component 90B has a constant cross-section portion 901 and a varying cross-section portion 902. The varying cross-section portion 902 satisfies the circumference value range. Further, in the cross-section changing portion 902, a tunnel portion 907 communicating with the inside of the pipe portion 91 is formed in a portion where the pipe portion 91 disappears and only the flange portion 92 remains. The tunnel portion 907 functions as an exhaust portion that exhausts gas inside the pipe portion 91 when the automobile component 90B is molded. Note that, although the cross-sectional shape of the tunnel portion 907 is a semicircular arc shape in this embodiment, it is not limited thereto.

[0042] <Second embodiment of molding device> Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the molding device will be described with reference to FIG. 17. The differences from the above-described embodiment will be mainly described, and descriptions of similar points will be omitted.

[0043] The molding apparatus 20 shown in Fig. 17 is an apparatus for molding an automobile member 90B. In this molding apparatus 20, a third member 503 of a first mold 50 has a groove (tunnel portion molding groove) 505 for molding a tunnel portion 907. The groove 505 is formed along the Y-axis direction, and has a semicircular cross-sectional shape.

[0044] <Third embodiment of automotive component> Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the flanged member of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 18. The differences from the previously described embodiments will be mainly described, and descriptions of similar points will be omitted.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 18, an automobile component 90C has a constant cross-section portion 901 and a varying cross-section portion 902. The varying cross-section portion 902 satisfies the circumference numerical range. Moreover, in the automobile component 90C, at least the cross-section changing portion 902 is curved in an arch shape downward in the figure.

[0046] <Fourth embodiment of automotive component> A fourth embodiment of the flanged member of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 19. The differences from the previously described embodiments will be mainly described, and descriptions of similar points will be omitted.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 19, an automobile component 90D has a constant cross-section portion 901 and a varying cross-section portion 902. The varying cross-section portion 902 satisfies the circumference numerical range. Moreover, in the automobile component 90D, at least the cross-section varying portion 902 is curved in an arch shape downward in the figure.

[0048] In addition, a groove 908 is formed as a bead portion in the pipe portion 91 from the middle of the cross-section varying portion 902 to the cross-section constant portion 901, i.e., along the central axis O91. The strength of the automobile component 90D is increased by the amount of the groove 908 formed. Note that, although the cross-sectional shape of the groove 908 is a semicircular arc in this embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto. The bead portion is not limited to the groove 908, and may be, for example, a ridge formed along the central axis O91. The ridge can also increase the strength of the automobile component 90D. As shown in FIG. 19, the constant cross section portion 901 in which the groove 908 as the bead portion is provided does not have a flange 92. On the other hand, in the varying cross section portion 902, the flange width 92 is increased as the depth of the groove 908 as the bead portion becomes shallower, thereby ensuring the strength of the automobile component 90d without changing the circumferential length.

[0049] <Third embodiment of molding device> Hereinafter, a third embodiment of a molding apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. 20. The differences from the above-described embodiments will be mainly described, and descriptions of similar points will be omitted.

[0050] The forming apparatus 20 shown in Fig. 20 is an apparatus for forming an automobile member 90D. In this forming apparatus 20, a convex strip (groove-forming convex portion) 506 for forming a groove 908 in a concave portion 504 of a third member 503 is formed along the Y-axis direction, and has a semicircular cross-sectional shape.

[0051] <Fifth embodiment of automotive component> Hereinafter, a fifth embodiment of the flanged member of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 21. The differences from the previously described embodiments will be mainly described, and descriptions of similar points will be omitted.

[0052] 21, in an automobile component 90E, cross-section varying portions 902 and cross-section constant portions 903 are alternately arranged along a central axis O91. In the cross-section varying portion 902, the width W92 of the flange portion 92 gradually increases from the lower left side to the upper right side in the figure, reaches a maximum, and then gradually decreases toward the upper right side.

[0053] <Fourth embodiment of molding device> Hereinafter, a third embodiment of a molding device will be described with reference to FIG. 22. The differences from the above-described embodiments will be mainly described, and descriptions of similar points will be omitted.

[0054] The forming apparatus 20 shown in Fig. 22 is an apparatus for forming an automobile component 90E. In this forming apparatus 20, a flange portion adjustment member 40B, a flange portion adjustment member 40C, a flange portion adjustment member 40D, a flange portion adjustment member 40C, and a flange portion adjustment member 40B are arranged along the Y-axis direction to form one set 401. This set 401 is arranged along the Y-axis direction with a gap 402 between them. The set 401 forms the flange portion 92 in the cross-section varying portion 902. Also, in the portion with the gap 402, a cross-section constant portion 903 is formed. <Sixth embodiment of automotive component> Hereinafter, a sixth embodiment of the automobile component will be described with reference to Figs.

[0055] 23 is a pipe (flanged member) that includes a pipe portion 91 and a flange portion 92 and is used as an automobile part. The automobile member 9A is made of a metal material such as an iron-carbon alloy. The pipe portion 91 is a tubular portion. The cross-sectional shape of the pipe portion 91 is not particularly limited, but for example, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape is a non-circular ring shape.

[0056] The flange portion 92 is integrally formed and protrudes from the outer periphery of the pipe portion 91. In the automobile component 9A, the flange portions 92 are formed on both sides in the width direction of the pipe portion 91 via the central axis O91 of the pipe portion 91. The flange portions 92 protrude in opposite directions. Note that, although the automobile component 9A has two flange portions 92 in this embodiment, the number of flange portions 92 formed is not limited thereto and may be, for example, one or three or more.

[0057] Each flange portion 92 includes two flange portions having different protrusion amounts, i.e., different widths, from the outer periphery of the pipe portion 91. Of the two flange portions, one flange portion is referred to as a "first flange portion 93," and the other flange portion having a width (protrusion amount) W94 smaller than the width (protrusion amount) W93 of the first flange portion 93 is referred to as a "second flange portion 94." Here, in the present invention, "width W94 smaller than width W93" also includes the case where width W94 is zero. The difference (maximum difference) between the width W93 and the width W94 is not particularly limited.

[0058] The first flange portion 93 and the second flange portion 94 are formed at different positions in the direction of the central axis O91 of the pipe portion 91. In this embodiment, the first flange portion 93 is formed in the center of the pipe portion 91 in the longitudinal direction (direction of the central axis O91), and the second flange portions 94 are formed on both end sides thereof.

[0059] In this embodiment, the overall length L93 of the first flange portion 93 along the central axis O91 direction is shorter than the overall length L94 of the second flange portion 94 along the central axis O91 direction, but is not limited to this. For example, the overall length L93 may be longer than the overall length L94, or the overall lengths L93 and L94 may be the same.

[0060] Further, in this embodiment, the two second flange portions 94 in each flange portion 92 have the same overall length L94, but this is not limitative and the overall lengths L94 may be different from each other. In addition, with respect to the pipe portion 91, the portion where the first flange portion 93 is formed to protrude is referred to as the "first pipe portion 95", and the portion where the second flange portion 94 is formed to protrude is referred to as the "second pipe portion 96".

[0061] Next, an example of a usage mode of the automobile component 9A will be described. The automobile component 9A is used as a part (beam) of a steering support structure 10 that supports a steering wheel and its peripheral components at the front side of an automobile. The steering support structure 10 is generally called, for example, a "steering member" or an "instrument panel reinforcement."

[0062] As shown in FIG. 24, the steering support structure 10 includes an automobile member 9A and a sheet metal member 11. The sheet metal member 11 is obtained by performing machining such as bending on a metal plate, and is a member that functions as, for example, a bracket, a stay, or the like.

[0063] The sheet metal member 11 is joined to the first flange portion 93 of the automobile component 9A. Note that, although the sheet metal member 11 and the first flange portion 93 are joined at one welding portion (welding point) 101 in the configuration shown in Fig. 24, the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, depending on the sizes of the sheet metal member 11 and the first flange portion 93, they may be joined at a plurality of welding portions 101.

[0064] The joining method is not particularly limited, but a welding method, particularly spot welding, can be used to join plate-shaped parts. Spot welding generally reduces the cost of joining members together compared to arc welding. In addition, a jig is usually used to position the members to be joined together, but spot welding can omit the use of the jig. The automobile member 9A that can be spot-welded in this way is a member that is excellent in joining workability with other members, i.e., the sheet metal member 11, during automobile manufacturing.

[0065] Furthermore, the first flange portion 93 has the largest width W93 among the flange portions 92, which makes it easier to join to the sheet metal member 11. The fact that the portion to which the sheet metal member 11 is joined is the first flange portion 93 with the largest width W93 and that spot welding can be used for the joining has a synergistic effect, which further improves the ease of joining.

[0066] <Sixth embodiment of automotive component> Hereinafter, a sixth embodiment of the automobile member will be described with reference to Figs.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 25, the steering support structure 10 of this embodiment includes an automobile member 9B, an automobile member 9C, and four sheet metal members 11. 26 and 27, the width of the flange portion 92 of both the automobile member 9B and the automobile member 9C is constant along the central axis O91. The automobile member 9B and the automobile member 9C are different in thickness (width), with the automobile member 9B being thicker and the automobile member 9C being thinner. In the steering support structure 10, the automobile member 9B and the automobile member 9C are arranged side by side along the width direction of the automobile, and the thicker automobile member 9B is disposed on the driver's seat side of the automobile.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 27, the end faces 97 of the automobile component 9B and the automobile component 9C are butted against each other, that is, are in contact with each other, and this state is maintained by one sheet metal member 11 (sheet metal member 11A). The four sheet metal members 11 include one sheet metal member 11A joined to both the automobile member 9B and the automobile member 9C, and three sheet metal members 11B joined to the automobile member 9B. Note that the sheet metal members 11 are joined by spot welding.

[0069] The sheet metal member 11A has a joint portion 111 that collectively covers the ends of the automobile member 9B and the automobile member 9C and connects these members. The joint portion 111 is a plate-shaped portion that is shaped to match the outer shapes of the automobile member 9B and the automobile member 9C, and is joined to each flange portion 92 of the automobile member 9B and each flange portion 92 of the automobile member 9C. This maintains the positional relationship between the automobile member 9B and the automobile member 9C. Note that the sheet metal member 11A and each flange portion 92 are joined at one welding point 101, but this is not limited thereto, and they may be joined at multiple welding points 101.

[0070] Each sheet metal member 11B is joined to a desired position of a flange portion 92 of an automobile component 9B. Each sheet metal member 11B and the flange portion 92 may be joined at one welding point 101 or at a plurality of welding points 101. Furthermore, the number of arranged sheet metal members 11 is not limited to four, and may be, for example, one to three, or five or more.

[0071] <Fifth embodiment of molding device> Hereinafter, a fifth embodiment of a molding device will be described with reference to Figs. 28 to 32. The differences from the above-described embodiments will be mainly described, and descriptions of similar points will be omitted.

[0072] 28 and 29, the molding apparatus 1 includes an apparatus main body 2, a gas supply unit 61, a heating unit 62, a cooling unit 63, a driving unit 64, and a control unit 65. The molding apparatus 1 can mold a cylindrical base material 9' into an automobile component 9A. The device body 2 includes a first forming section 21 and a second forming section 22 arranged along the Y-axis direction. Although not shown, in the device body 2, one second forming section 22 is arranged on the Y-axis direction positive side of the first forming section 21, and one second forming section 22 is arranged on the Y-axis direction negative side of the first forming section 21. The two second forming sections 22 have the same configuration except for their different locations, so the second forming section 22 on the Y-axis direction positive side will be representatively described.

[0073] 30 to 32 are vertical cross-sectional views sequentially showing the operating state (mold open state) of the molding device shown in Fig. 28. The cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 28 is a cross-sectional view of first molding portion 21, and the cross-sectional view taken along line CC is a cross-sectional view of second molding portion 22. The first molding portion 21 is a portion where the first molding process is performed to mold a part of the base material 9', i.e., in this embodiment, the central portion of the base material 9' in the longitudinal direction (direction of the central axis O9'), into a first pipe portion 95 and a first flange portion 93. The second molding portion 22 is a portion where the second molding process is performed, in which a part of the base material 9', i.e., in this embodiment, one end side of the base material 9' (the positive side in the Y-axis direction), is molded into a second pipe portion 96 and a second flange portion 94.

[0074] The first molding section 21 and the second molding section 22 share the first mold 3 and the second mold 4 which can be in a mold open state (see FIG. 30), a mold clamped state (see FIG. 32), and an intermediate state between the mold open state and the mold clamped state (see FIG. 31). This allows the first molding section 21 and the second molding section 22, the first mold 3 and the second mold 4 to operate at the same timing from the mold open state to the mold clamped state, thereby enabling smooth molding into the automotive member 9A.

[0075] In the apparatus body 2, a first mold 3 is disposed on the upper side, and a second mold 4 is disposed on the lower side. Then, between the first mold 3 and the second mold 4, a cavity 23 is formed in which a base material 9' is disposed and stored. In this embodiment, both the first mold 3 and the second mold 4 are supported so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction and to be able to move toward and away from each other. Note that the apparatus body 2 may have the first mold 3 fixed and the second mold 4 supported so as to be able to move toward and away from the first mold 3, or the second mold 4 fixed and the first mold 3 supported so as to be able to move toward and away from the second mold 4.

[0076] As shown in Figs. 30 to 32, the first mold 3 is block-shaped and has a lower surface 31 parallel to the XY plane. The first mold 3 also has a groove 32 formed in the lower surface 31 along the Y-axis direction. Each side surface 321 of the groove 32 is inclined with respect to the lower surface 31, and the distance between the side surfaces 321 gradually increases toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction. The bottom surface 322 is formed parallel to the lower surface 31.

[0077] The second mold 4 is block-shaped and has an upper surface 41 that is parallel to the XY plane, i.e., faces the lower surface 31 of the first mold 3. The second mold 4 also has a groove 42 formed on the upper surface 41 and aligned along the Y-axis direction. When viewed in the Z-axis direction, this groove 42 overlaps with the groove 32 of the first mold 3. The groove 42 has each side surface 421 inclined relative to the upper surface 41, and the distance between the side surfaces 421 gradually increases toward the positive side in the Z-axis direction. The bottom surface 422 is formed parallel to the upper surface 41.

[0078] The first molding section 21 also includes a flange adjustment member 5. As described below, the flange adjustment member 5 can adjust the width W93 of the first flange 93 to be larger than the width W94 of the second flange 94 when molding the first flange 93. In this embodiment, the first molding section 21 includes two flange adjustment members 5, one of which, flange adjustment member 5A, is disposed in the first mold 3, and the other flange adjustment member 5B is disposed in the second mold 4. Note that the flange adjustment member 5 is not limited to being disposed in both the first mold 3 and the second mold 4, and may be disposed in only one of the first mold 3 and the second mold 4, for example.

[0079] The flange portion adjustment member 5A is supported movably along the Z-axis direction by the first mold 3. The flange portion adjustment member 5A has a first protruding portion (protruding portion) 51, two second protruding portions 52, and connecting portions 53 that connect the first protruding portion 51 and each of the second protruding portions 52. The first protrusion 51 protrudes downward from the bottom surface 322 of the groove 32 of the first mold 3 . The second protruding portions 52 are disposed on the positive and negative sides of the X-axis direction of the first protruding portion 51. Each of the second protruding portions 52 protrudes downward from the lower surface 31 of the first mold 3.

[0080] When the flange adjustment member 5A moves along the Z-axis direction, the first protrusion 51 and the second protrusions 52 can collectively protrude and retract from the cavity 23. As shown in Fig. 30, in the mold open state, the first protrusion 51 and the second protrusions 52 are in a maximum protruding state. As shown in Fig. 32, in the mold closed state, the first protrusion 51 and the second protrusions 52 are in a maximum retracted state.

[0081] The flange portion adjustment member 5B is supported movably along the Z-axis direction by the second mold 4. The flange portion adjustment member 5B has a first protruding portion (protruding portion) 54, two second protruding portions 55, and connecting portions 56 that connect the first protruding portion 54 and each of the second protruding portions 55. The first protrusion 54 protrudes upward from the bottom surface 422 of the groove 42 of the second mold 4. Second protruding portions 55 are disposed on the positive and negative sides in the X-axis direction of the first protruding portion 54. Each of the second protruding portions 55 protrudes upward from the upper surface 41 of the second mold 4.

[0082] When the flange adjustment member 5B moves along the Z-axis direction, the first protrusion 54 and the second protrusions 55 can collectively protrude and retract into the cavity 23. As shown in Fig. 30, in the mold open state, the first protrusion 54 and the second protrusions 55 are in a maximum protruding state. As shown in Fig. 32, in the mold closed state, the first protrusion 54 and the second protrusions 55 are in a maximum retracted state.

[0083] The first molding portion 21 also includes a gas damper 24 built into the first mold 3 and a gas damper 25 built into the second mold 4 . The gas damper 24 is disposed on the opposite side of the first protruding portion 51 of the flange portion adjustment member 5A, and functions as a biasing portion that biases the flange portion adjustment member 5A toward the negative side in the Z axis direction. This allows the first protruding portion 51 and each of the second protruding portions 52 to be maintained in a maximally protruding state in the mold open state.

[0084] The gas damper 25 is disposed on the opposite side to the first protruding portion 54 of the flange portion adjustment member 5B, and functions as a biasing portion that biases the flange portion adjustment member 5B toward the Z-axis direction positive side. This allows the first protruding portion 54 and each of the second protruding portions 55 to be maintained in a maximally protruding state in the mold open state. In addition, in the molding apparatus 1, instead of the gas dampers 24 and 25, for example, compression coil springs can be used.

[0085] The heating unit 62 is a unit that performs a heating step for heating the base material 9'. The configuration of the heating unit 62 is not particularly limited, and may be configured to have, for example, two electrodes electrically connected to the base material 9' and a voltage application unit that applies a voltage between these electrodes. This allows the base material 9' to be in an electrically conducting state, and to be heated and softened, prior to the shaping by the first shaping unit 21 and the shaping by the second shaping unit 22.

[0086] The gas supply unit 61 is a part that performs a gas supplying step of supplying high-pressure air into the base material 9'. This makes it possible to prevent excessive crushing of the base material 9' when molding by the first molding unit 21 and molding by the second molding unit 22 are performed respectively in a state in which the first mold 3 and the second mold 4 are clamped. The configuration of the gas supply unit 61 is not particularly limited, and can be configured to have a compressor, for example.

[0087] The cooling section 63 is a section that performs a cooling step to rapidly cool the automobile component 9A (base material 9'). The configuration of the cooling section 63 is not particularly limited, and may be configured, for example, to have a flow path provided in each of the first mold 3 and the second mold 4, through which a refrigerant passes. When the refrigerant passes through the flow path, the automobile component 9A can be rapidly cooled together with the first mold 3 and the second mold 4. The refrigerant may be either a liquid or a gas.

[0088] The drive unit 64 can move the first mold 3 and the second mold 4 to move them closer to or away from each other. This makes it possible to switch between a mold open state and a mold clamped state. The configuration of the drive unit 64 is not particularly limited, and can be, for example, a configuration including a motor, a ball screw connected to the motor, and a linear guide connected to the ball screw.

[0089] The control unit 65 controls the operations of the gas supply unit 61, the heating unit 62, the cooling unit 63, and the driving unit 64. The configuration of the control unit 65 is not particularly limited, and may include, for example, a CPU 651 and a storage unit 652. The CPU 651 may execute, for example, a control program pre-stored in the storage unit 652. The control program may include, for example, a program for controlling the operating conditions (operation timing) of the gas supply unit 61, the heating unit 62, the cooling unit 63, and the driving unit 64 to mold the base material 9' into an automotive member 9A, and the like.

[0090] The molding apparatus 1 operates as follows. First, as shown in Fig. 30, the first mold 3 and the second mold 4 are opened, and the base material 9' is placed between the first mold 3 and the second mold 4, that is, in the cavity 23. At this time, as described above, in the first molding part 21, the first protruding part 51 and each second protruding part 52 on the first mold 3 side are in a state of maximum protrusion, and the first protruding part 54 and each second protruding part 55 on the second mold 4 side are also in a state of maximum protrusion (see the BB line cross section in Fig. 30). On the other hand, the second molding part 22 is not provided with the protruding part 51 or the like (see the CC line cross section in Fig. 30). Next, with the molds still open, the heating section 62 is operated, thereby softening the base material 9'.

[0091] Next, the driving unit 64 is operated to bring the first die 3 and the second die 4 into an intermediate state, as shown in Fig. 31, closer to each other than the state shown in Fig. 30. This allows the upper portion of the base material 9' to enter deeper into the groove 32 of the first die 3 than in the state shown in Fig. 30, and the lower portion to enter deeper into the groove 42 of the second die 4 than in the state shown in Fig. 30. At this time, in the first molding section 21, the end face 511 of the first protrusion 51 abuts against the base material 9' from above, and the end face 541 of the first protrusion 54 abuts against the base material 9' from below. Meanwhile, in the second molding section 22 (cross-sectional view of line CC in FIG. 31 ), the bottom face 322 of the groove 32 abuts against the base material 9' from above, and the bottom face 422 of the groove 42 abuts against the base material 9' from below. A separation distance SD1 between the end face 511 of the first protrusion 51 and the end face 541 of the first protrusion 54 is shorter than a separation distance SD2 between the bottom face 322 of the groove 32 and the bottom face 422 of the groove 42. As a result, the base material 9' is crushed more between the end surface 511 of the first protrusion 51 and the end surface 541 of the first protrusion 54 than between the bottom surface 322 of the groove 32 and the bottom surface 422 of the groove 42.

[0092] 31, the gas supply unit 61 is operated to perform a primary blow. This primary blow, combined with the crushing between the end face 511 of the first protruding portion 51 and the end face 541 of the first protruding portion 54, causes the base material 9' to expand in the X-axis direction in the first molding portion 21 (cross-sectional view of line BB in FIG. 31) more than in the second molding portion 22 (cross-sectional view of line CC in FIG. 31). This expansion allows the base material 9' to enter between the lower surface 31 of the first mold 3 and the upper surface 41 of the second mold 4, with a portion 93' that will become the first flange portion 93 being larger than a portion 94' that will become the second flange portion 94. As a result, in the subsequent mold clamping state, the portion 93' is crushed just enough to form the first flange portion 93 with a larger width W93, and the portion 94' is crushed to form the second flange portion 94 with a smaller width W94.

[0093] Next, in the mold clamping state shown in Fig. 32, the gas supply unit 61 is operated to perform a secondary blow. Note that in the secondary blow, the amount of high-pressure air supplied into the base material 9' is greater than in the primary blow, or the pressure of the high-pressure air is higher. In the mold clamped state, the base material 9' can penetrate deeper into the groove 32 of the first mold 3 and the groove 42 of the second mold 4. As a result, the base material 9' conforms to the shapes of the grooves 32 and 42, and the first pipe portion 95 and the second pipe portion 96 are formed in the base material 9'. In addition, between the first mold 3 and the second mold 4, the above-mentioned portion 93' can be completely crushed to reliably form the first flange portion 93, and the above-mentioned portion 94' can be completely crushed to reliably form the second flange portion 94.

[0094] At this time, the first protrusion 51 of the flange portion adjustment member 5A is pressed to the Z axis direction positive side by the base material 9', and each of the second protrusions 52 is pressed to the Z axis direction positive side by the upper surface 41 of the second mold 4. As a result, the flange portion adjustment member 5A moves to the Z axis direction positive side against the biasing force of the gas damper 24. On the other hand, the first protrusion 54 of the flange portion adjustment member 5B is pressed to the Z axis direction negative side by the base material 9', and each of the second protrusions 55 is pressed to the Z axis direction negative side by the lower surface 31 of the first mold 3. As a result, the flange portion adjustment member 5B moves to the Z axis direction negative side against the biasing force of the gas damper 25.

[0095] In this mold-clamped state, the base material 9' is molded into an automobile component 9A including a first pipe portion 95, a first flange portion 93, a second pipe portion 96, and a second flange portion 94. The first pipe portion 95 and the second pipe portion 96 are formed at different positions in the direction of the central axis O9' (central axis O91) of the base material 9', but have a different tubular shape from the base material 9', that is, they are tubular portions having a non-circular cross-sectional shape. The first flange portion 93 is integrally formed and protrudes from the outer periphery of the first pipe portion 95. The second flange portion 94 is integrally formed and protrudes from the outer periphery of the second pipe portion 96. The width W93 of the first flange portion 93 is greater than the width W94 of the second flange portion 94. The overall length L93 of the first flange portion 93 corresponds to the length of the first molded portion 21 along the Y-axis direction, and the overall length L94 of the second flange portion 94 corresponds to the length of the second molded portion 22 along the Y-axis direction.

[0096] Next, the cooling section 63 is operated to rapidly cool the automotive component 9A. When the base material 9' is brought into close contact with the first die 3 and the second die 4 by the secondary blow, the base material 9' is quenched. As a result, the base material 9' is transformed from austenite to martensite, and becomes an automobile component 9A, which is a final formed product. Next, the mold is opened again, and the automobile component 9A is taken out. As described above, the automobile component 9A can be rapidly and accurately molded by using the molding apparatus 1. And, as described above, the automobile component 9A obtained by the molding apparatus 1 is a component that is excellent in joining workability during automobile manufacturing.

[0097] Furthermore, in the molding apparatus 1, the width W93 of the first flange portion 93 in the mold closed state is determined depending on the maximum protrusion amount of the first protrusion portion 51 and the first protrusion portion 54 in the mold open state. As a result, the greater the maximum protrusion amount of the first protrusion portion 51 and the first protrusion portion 54, the greater the width W93 of the first flange portion 93. Conversely, by reducing the maximum protrusion amount of the first protrusion portion 51 and the first protrusion portion 54, the width W93 of the first flange portion 93 can be reduced accordingly.

[0098] <Sixth embodiment of molding device> Hereinafter, a sixth embodiment of a molding device will be described with reference to Figs. 33 to 36. The differences from the previously described embodiments will be mainly described, and descriptions of similar points will be omitted.

[0099] The molding apparatus 1 of this embodiment shown in Fig. 33 includes an apparatus main body 2. This apparatus main body 2 includes a first molding section 21 and a second molding section 22 having the internal structures shown in Figs. 34 to 36, in the first molding part 21, the first mold 3 has a lower surface 31 parallel to the XY plane and a groove 32 formed in the lower surface 31. The second mold 4 has an upper surface 41 parallel to the XY plane and a groove 42 formed in the upper surface 41.

[0100] The second molding section 22 includes a flange portion adjustment member 7. As described below, the flange portion adjustment member 7 can adjust the width W94 of the second flange portion 94 to be smaller than the width W93 of the first flange portion 93 when molding the second flange portion 94. In this embodiment, the second molding section 22 includes, as the flange portion adjustment members 7, two flange portion adjustment members 7A arranged in the first mold 3 and two flange portion adjustment members 7B arranged in the second mold 4. Note that the flange portion adjustment members 7 are not limited to being arranged in both the first mold 3 and the second mold 4, and may be arranged in only one of the first mold 3 and the second mold 4, for example.

[0101] The two flange adjustment members 7A are spaced apart in the X-axis direction. Since the two flange adjustment members 7A have the same configuration except for their locations, the flange adjustment member 7A on the positive side in the X-axis direction will be representatively described below. The flange portion adjustment member 7A is supported movably along the Z-axis direction by the first mold 3. The flange portion adjustment member 7A has a protrusion 71.

[0102] The protruding portion 71 protrudes downward from the lower surface 31 of the first mold 3. The protruding portion 71 has an end surface 711 parallel to the XY plane, and an inclined surface 712 that faces the base material 9' disposed in the cavity 23 and is inclined relative to the end surface 711. The inclined surface 712 is inclined to the same extent as the side surface 321 of the groove 32, and overlaps with the side surface 321 when viewed from the Y-axis direction in the mold clamped state. Between the two flange portion adjustment members 7A, the distance between the inclined surfaces 712 gradually increases toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction.

[0103] When the flange adjustment member 7A moves along the Z-axis direction, the protrusion 71 can freely protrude into and retract from the cavity 23. As shown in Fig. 34, in the mold open state, the protrusion 71 is in a maximum protruding state. As shown in Fig. 36, in the mold closed state, the protrusion 71 is in a maximum retracted state.

[0104] The two flange adjustment members 7B are disposed apart in the X-axis direction, similar to the flange adjustment members 7A. These two flange adjustment members 7B have the same configuration except for their locations, so the following description will representatively explain the flange adjustment member 7B on the X-axis positive side. The flange portion adjustment member 7B is supported movably along the Z-axis direction by the second mold 4. The flange portion adjustment member 7B has a protrusion 72.

[0105] The protruding portion 72 protrudes upward from the upper surface 41 of the second mold 4. The protruding portion 72 has an end surface 721 that is parallel to the XY plane, i.e., that faces the end surface 711 of the flange portion adjustment member 7A located on the positive side in the X-axis direction. The protruding portion 72 also has an inclined surface 722 that faces the base material 9' disposed in the cavity 23 and is inclined relative to the end surface 721. The inclined surface 722 is inclined to the same extent as the side surface 421 of the groove 42, and overlaps with the side surface 421 when viewed from the Y-axis direction in the mold clamped state. In addition, between the two flange portion adjustment members 7B, the distance between the inclined surfaces 722 gradually increases toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction.

[0106] When the flange portion adjustment member 7B moves along the Z-axis direction, the protrusion 72 can freely protrude into and retract from the cavity 23. As shown in Fig. 34, in the mold open state, the protrusion 72 is in a maximally protruding state, similar to the protrusion 71. As shown in Fig. 36, in the mold closed state, the protrusion 72 is in a maximally retracted state, similar to the protrusion 71.

[0107] The first molding section 21 also includes two gas dampers 26 built into the first mold 3 and two gas dampers 27 built into the second mold 4 . Each gas damper 26 is disposed on the opposite side of the protruding portion 71 of each flange portion adjustment member 7A and functions as a biasing portion that biases the flange portion adjustment member 7A toward the negative side in the Z axis direction. This allows the protruding portion 71 to be maintained in a maximum protruding state in the mold open state. The two flange adjustment members 7A may be connected to each other, which allows the number of gas dampers 26 to be reduced to one.

[0108] Each gas damper 27 is disposed on the opposite side of the protruding portion 72 of each flange portion adjustment member 7B, and functions as a biasing portion that biases the flange portion adjustment member 7B toward the Z-axis direction positive side. This allows the protruding portion 72 to be maintained in a maximally protruding state in the mold open state. The two flange portion adjustment members 7B may be connected to each other, which allows the number of gas dampers 27 to be reduced to one.

[0109] Next, the operation of the molding apparatus 1 will be described. First, as shown in Fig. 34, the first mold 3 and the second mold 4 are opened, and the base material 9' is placed between the first mold 3 and the second mold 4, i.e., in the cavity 23. At this time, as described above, in the second molding portion 22, the protruding portion 71 on the first mold 3 side is in a state of maximum protrusion, and the protruding portion 72 on the second mold 4 side is also in a state of maximum protrusion (see the cross-sectional view taken along line EE in Fig. 30). On the other hand, the first molding portion 23 is not provided with the protruding portion 71 or the like (see the cross-sectional view taken along line DD in Fig. 34). Next, with the molds still open, the heating section 62 is operated, thereby softening the base material 9'.

[0110] Next, the driving unit 64 is operated to bring the first mold 3 and the second mold 4 into an intermediate state closer to each other than the state shown in Fig. 34, as shown in Fig. 35. This allows the base material 9' to penetrate deeper into the grooves 32 of the first mold 3 and the grooves 42 of the second mold 4 in the first molding section 21. Also, in the second molding section 22, the base material 9' can penetrate deeper between the flange portion adjustment members 7A and between the flange portion adjustment members 7B.

[0111] 35, the gas supply unit 61 is operated to perform the first blow. At this time, the separation distance SD4 between the end face 711 of the flange portion adjustment member 7A (projection 71) and the end face 721 of the flange portion adjustment member 7B (projection 72) in the second molding unit 22 is shorter than the separation distance SD3 between the lower face 31 of the first mold 3 and the upper face 41 of the second mold 4 in the first molding unit 21. This makes it possible to make the amount of penetration of the portion 94' that will become the second flange portion 94 between the end face 711 and the end face 721 smaller than the amount of penetration of the portion 93' that will become the first flange portion 93 between the lower face 31 and the upper face 41, that is, to suppress it. This makes it possible to mold the first flange portion 93 and the second flange portion 94, which have different widths, by squeezing the portions 93' and 94' just enough in the subsequent mold clamping state. That is, in the mold clamped state, a first flange portion 93 having a larger width W93 and a second flange portion 94 having a smaller width W94 can be formed.

[0112] Next, in the mold clamping state shown in FIG. 36, the gas supply unit 61 is operated to perform a secondary blow. In the first molding portion 21 in the mold-clamped state, the base material 9' can penetrate deeper into the groove 32 of the first mold 3 and the groove 42 of the second mold 4. In addition, the portion 93' can be completely crushed between the first mold 3 and the second mold 4. On the other hand, in the second forming section 22, the base material 9' can penetrate deeper between the flange portion adjustment members 7A and between the flange portion adjustment members 7B. This results in the first pipe portion 95 and the second pipe portion 96 being formed in the base material 9'.

[0113] At this time, the protrusion 71 of each flange portion adjustment member 7A is pressed toward the Z axis direction positive side by the base material 9'. As a result, each flange portion adjustment member 7A moves toward the Z axis direction positive side against the biasing force of the gas damper 26. Meanwhile, the protrusion 72 of each flange portion adjustment member 7B is pressed toward the Z axis direction negative side by the base material 9'. As a result, each flange portion adjustment member 7B moves toward the Z axis direction negative side against the biasing force of the gas damper 27. Also, the portion 94' can be completely crushed between the flange portion adjustment members 7A and 7B.

[0114] In this mold-clamped state, the base material 9' is formed into an automobile component 9A in which the width W93 of the first flange portion 93 is larger than the width W94 of the second flange portion 94. Next, the cooling section 63 is operated to rapidly cool the automotive component 9A. As in the first embodiment, when the base material 9' is brought into close contact with the first die 3 and the second die 4 by the secondary blow, the base material 9' is quenched. As a result, the base material 9' is transformed from austenite to martensite, and becomes the final formed product, that is, the automobile member 9A. Next, the mold is opened again and the automobile component 9A is taken out, thereby obtaining the automobile component 9A.

[0115] Furthermore, in the molding device 1, the width W94 of the second flange portion 94 is determined depending on the size of the separation distance SD4 between the protruding portion 71 and the protruding portion 72 in the intermediate state. As a result, the smaller the separation distance SD4, the smaller the width W94 of the second flange portion 94. For example, if the separation distance SD4 is set to zero, molding of the second flange portion 94 is omitted, that is, the width W94 is set to zero, and molding of the second flange portion 94 can be restricted. As a result, the presence or absence of the second flange portion 94 can be selected depending on the place (application) of use of the automotive member 9A inside the automobile.

[0116] <Seventh embodiment of molding device> Hereinafter, the seventh embodiment of the molding device will be described with reference to Figs. 37 to 41. The differences from the previously described embodiments will be mainly described, and descriptions of similar points will be omitted.

[0117] 37 to 41, in this embodiment, the forming apparatus 1 includes a first apparatus body 2A that forms a primary base material 9-1' into a secondary base material 9-2', and a second apparatus body 2B that forms the secondary base material (base material) 9-2' into an automobile component 9A. Note that the first apparatus body 2A and the second apparatus body 2B may be separate bodies or may be integrated. As shown in FIGS. 37 and 38, the first device body 2A includes a first mold 81 and a second mold 82 which are supported so as to be movable toward and away from each other.

[0118] A cavity 83 in which the primary base material 9-1′ is placed and housed is formed between the first mold 81 and the second mold 82. The cavity 83 is a cylindrical space, and has a large diameter portion 831 and a small diameter portion 832 that have different diameters. In this embodiment, the cavity 83 has two small diameter portions 832 and one large diameter portion 831 placed between the two small diameter portions 832. The primary base material 9-1' is a cylindrical member whose outer diameter and inner diameter are constant along the direction of the central axis O9-1'.

[0119] To mold the primary base material 9-1' into the secondary base material 9-2' using the first device body 2A, first, as shown in FIG. 37, the primary base material 9-1' is placed between the first mold 81 and the second mold 82 in the mold open state, and the primary base material 9-1' is heated as it is. Next, as shown in FIG. 38, the mold is closed and the gas supply process and the like are appropriately performed as in the first embodiment of the molding device. This results in the secondary base material 9-2'. The secondary base material 9-2' has a first portion 98 molded at the large diameter portion 831 and a second portion 99 molded at each small diameter portion 832. The first portion 98 has an outer diameter larger than that of the second portion 99, but the thickness of the tube wall is thinner than that of the second portion 99.

[0120] As shown in Fig. 39 and Fig. 40, the second device body 2B includes a first molding section 21 and a second molding section 22. To mold the secondary base material 9-2' into an automobile member 9A using the second device body 2B, first, as shown in Fig. 39, in the mold open state, the secondary base material 9-2' is placed between the first mold 3 and the second mold 4, and the secondary base material 9-2' is heated as it is. At this time, the first portion 98 of the secondary base material 9-2' faces the first molding section 21, and the second portion 99 faces the second molding section 22. In Fig. 40, in the first molding section 21 located in the center of the first mold 3, which is the upper mold, and the second mold 4, which is the lower mold, the top and bottom of the first mold 3 (upper mold) and the second mold 4 (lower mold) are recessed (protruding) toward the center of the secondary base material 9-2'.

[0121] 40, in the mold clamped state, the gas supply process and the like are appropriately performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment of the molding apparatus. As a result, the first portion 98 is crushed and spreads in the X-axis direction by the amount of the crushing, forming the first flange portion 93. Note that in this embodiment, the molding of the second flange 94 is restricted. Next, the second device body 2B is opened again. As a result, an automobile member 9A having a first flange portion 93 is obtained, as shown in Fig. 41. This makes it possible to form only the first flange portion 93 without forming the second flange portion 94 more than necessary, and therefore makes it possible to form the flange portion 92 by the necessary protruding amount at the necessary welding point. In addition, in the first molding portion 21 in the center of the first mold 3 serving as the upper mold and the second mold 4 serving as the lower mold, the top and bottom of the first mold 3 (upper mold) and the second mold 4 (lower mold) do not have to be recessed toward the center of the secondary base material 9-2'. For example, even if the first molding portion 21 has the same shape as the second molding portion 22, the first flange portion 93 can be molded by the amount that the first portion 98 of the secondary base material 9-2' has a larger outer diameter than the second portion 99.

[0122] Although the flanged member of the present invention has been described above with reference to the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and each part constituting the flanged member can be replaced with any other part capable of exerting the same function. Also, any other component can be added. Furthermore, the flanged member of the present invention may be a combination of any two or more of the configurations (features) of the above-described embodiments.

[0123] Further, while the flanged member is applied to automobile parts in each of the above-described embodiments, application examples are not limited to this, and it can also be applied to, for example, aircraft, ships, etc. Moreover, when molding the automobile member 9B and the automobile member 9C, the molding can be performed by using a molding device in which one of the first molding section 21 and the second molding section 22 is omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0124] 1 Molding equipment 2. Device body 2A 1st device body 2B 2nd device body 21 1st molding section 22 2nd molding section 23 Cavity 24 Gas damper 25 Gas Damper 26 Gas Damper 27 Gas Damper 3. First Mold 31 Bottom surface 32 Groove 321 Side 322 Bottom 4. Second mold 41 Top side 42 Groove 421 Side 422 Bottom 5 Flange adjustment member 5A Flange adjustment member 5B Flange adjustment member 51 1st protrusion (protrusion) 511 End face 52 Second protrusion 53 Connecting part 54 1st protrusion (protrusion) 541 End face 55 Second protrusion 56 Connecting part 61 Gas supply section 62 Heating section 63 Cooling section 64 Drive unit 65 Control Unit 651 CPU 652 Storage section 7 Flange adjustment member 7A Flange adjustment member 7B Flange adjustment member 71 Protrusion 711 End face 712 Slope 72 Protrusion 721 End face 722 Slope 81 First Mold 82 2nd Mold 83 Cavity 831 Large Temporary Section 832 Small diameter section 90A Automotive parts 90B Automotive parts 90C Automotive parts 90D Automotive parts 90E Automotive parts 90' Base material 901 Constant cross section 902 Cross-sectional change section 903 Constant cross section 904 Protrusion 905 Protrusion 906 Protrusion 907 Tunnel Section 908 Groove 9A Automotive parts 9B Automotive parts 9C Automotive parts 9' Base material 9-1' Primary base material 9-2' Secondary base material (base material) 91 Pipe section 911 Leftmost 912 Right end 913 Constant height part 914 Height change section (gradual increase in height section) 915 Constant height part 92 Flange part 921 Constant width part 922 Width change section (width gradually decreasing section) 93 First flange part 93' part 94 Second flange part 94' part 95 First Pipe Section 96 Second Pipe Section 97 End face 98 Part 1 99 Part 2 10. Steering support structure 101 Welding points (welding points) 11 Sheet metal parts 11A Sheet metal parts 11B Sheet metal parts 111 Joint 20 Molding equipment 30 Device body 40 Flange adjustment member 40B Flange adjustment member 40C Flange adjustment member 40D Flange adjustment parts 401 pairs 402 interval 50 First Mold 50A 1st mold 50B 1st mold 50C 1st mold 50D 1st mold 501 First member 502 Second member 503 Third Component 504 Recess 505 Groove (tunnel section molding groove) 506 Convex strip (convex part for groove forming) 60 2nd Mold H91 Height L93 Total length L94 Full length O9' Center axis O91 Center axis (axis) PM5 Circumference PM6 Circumference PM7 Circumference PM8 Circumference SD1 Distance SD2 Distance SD3 Distance SD4 Distance W91 pieces W92 width (protrusion) W93 width (protrusion) W94 width (protrusion)

Claims

1. A tubular flanged member having a flange portion, A cross-sectional shape of the flanged member is changed along the axial direction of the flanged member. A flanged member, characterized in that, of any two cross sections in the cross-sectional change portion, the perimeter of one cross section is 1.25 times or less the perimeter of the other cross section.

2. 2. The flanged member according to claim 1, wherein the perimeter of said one cross section is at least one time the perimeter of said other cross section.

3. 3. The flanged member according to claim 1, further comprising a rectangular portion having a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

4. The flanged member according to claim 3 , wherein the cross-sectionally varying portion includes the rectangular portion.

5. 5. The flanged member according to claim 3, wherein the rectangular portion is formed with a groove extending along the axial direction.

6. The flanged member according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cross-sectionally varying portion includes the flange portion.

7. The flanged member according to claim 6 , wherein the flange portion is formed along the axial direction and has a width that varies along the axial direction.

8. The flanged member according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the flange portion is a plate-like portion formed by overlapping pipe walls of the tubular body.

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