Variable thickness roll-formed blank and roll-forming system and method

Abstract

A variable thickness roll forming system for forming a variable thickness blank including at least two sets of cylindrical shaped rollers. Each of the sets of rollers include: a first roller including a face which is linear where the first roller contacts the metal sheet; and a second roller including multiple shaping faces positioned about a perimeter and directed toward the face of the first roller. Each roller set incrementally alters a thickness of a metal sheet in a direction transverse to a metal sheet feed direction when the metal sheet is passed between the first and second rollers. The metal sheet after passing between the first and second rollers forms a roll formed blank having a first portion and a second portion positioned in the direction transverse to the feed direction with respect to the first portion, the first portion thicker than the second portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A variable thickness roll forming system for forming a variable thickness blank, comprising:
 at least two sets of cylindrical shaped rollers, each of the at least two sets of rollers including:
 a first roller including a face which is linear where the first roller contacts a metal sheet; and 
 a second roller including multiple shaping faces positioned about a perimeter and directed toward the face of the first roller; 
   each of the at least two sets of rollers incrementally altering a thickness of the metal sheet in at least a direction transverse to a feed direction of the metal sheet when the metal sheet is passed between the first roller and the second roller;   wherein the metal sheet when passed between the first roller and the second roller forms a roll formed blank having a first portion and at least a second portion positioned in the direction transverse to the feed direction of the metal sheet with respect to the first portion, the first portion having a thickness greater than a thickness of the second portion.   
     
     
         2 . The variable thickness roll forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the multiple shaping faces of the second roller include a first shaping face which defines a first spacing distance between the first shaping face and the face of the first roller. 
     
     
         3 . The variable thickness roll forming system of  claim 2 , wherein the first spacing distance is equal to an initial thickness of the metal sheet. 
     
     
         4 . The variable thickness roll forming system of  claim 3 , wherein the second roller further includes a second shaping face defining a second spacing distance between the second shaping face and the face of the first roller which is less than the initial thickness of the metal sheet. 
     
     
         5 . The variable thickness roll forming system of  claim 4 , wherein the second roller further includes a third shaping face defining a third spacing distance between the third shaping face and the face of the first roller which is less than the initial thickness of the metal sheet. 
     
     
         6 . The variable thickness roll forming system of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the second spacing distance defines a thickness of the second portion of the roll formed blank; and   the third spacing distance defines a thickness of a third portion of the roll formed blank oppositely positioned about the first portion with respect to the second portion.   
     
     
         7 . The variable thickness roll forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the second portion is reduced by up to approximately 40% of the thickness of the first portion. 
     
     
         8 . The variable thickness roll forming system of  claim 1 , further including a first translational roller positioned between a first roller set of the multiple roller sets and a second roller set of the multiple roller sets. 
     
     
         9 . The variable thickness roll forming system of  claim 8 , wherein the first translational roller when displaced toward the metal sheet in a displacement direction substantially transverse to the metal sheet deforms and thereby laterally lengthens a length of the metal sheet between the first roller set and the second roller set. 
     
     
         10 . The variable thickness roll forming system of  claim 9 , further including a second translational roller positioned between the first roller set and the second roller set and positioned oppositely about the metal sheet with respect to the first translational roller, the second translational roller when displaced toward the metal sheet in a direction opposite to the displacement direction of the first translational roller deforming and thereby lengthening a further portion of the metal sheet. 
     
     
         11 . A variable thickness roll forming system for forming a variable thickness blank, comprising:
 multiple sets of cylindrical shaped rollers, each of the multiple sets of rollers including:
 a first roller having a face which is linear where the first roller contacts a metal sheet; and 
 a second roller having multiple shaping faces positioned about a perimeter and directed toward the face of the first roller; 
   each of the sets of rollers incrementally altering a thickness of the metal sheet in a direction transverse to a feed direction of the metal sheet when the metal sheet is passed between the first roller and the second roller;   wherein the metal sheet when passed between the first roller and the second roller forms a roll formed blank having a central portion, a first outer portion and a second outer portion located opposite about the central portion with respect to the first outer portion, the central portion having a thickness greater than a thickness of each of the first outer portion and the second outer portion.   
     
     
         12 . The variable thickness roll forming system of  claim 11 , wherein the thickness of the central portion after passing through a final one of the sets of rollers is substantially equal to an initial thickness of the metal sheet. 
     
     
         13 . The variable thickness roll forming system of  claim 12 , wherein the thickness of each of the first outer portion and the second outer portion is substantially equal after passing through the final one of the sets of rollers. 
     
     
         14 . The variable thickness roll forming system of  claim 12 , wherein the thickness of one of the first outer portion and the second outer portion is greater than the thickness of the other one of the first outer portion and the second outer portion after passing through the final one of the sets of rollers. 
     
     
         15 . The variable thickness roll forming system of  claim 11 , wherein the thickness of the first outer portion and the thickness of the second outer portion are reduced by up to approximately 40% of the thickness of the central portion after passing through a final one of the sets of rollers. 
     
     
         16 . The variable thickness roll forming system of  claim 11 , further including a first translational roller positioned between a first roller set of the sets of cylindrical shaped rollers and a second roller set of the sets of cylindrical shaped rollers, the first translational roller altering a length and a thickness of the metal sheet in a direction parallel to the feed direction of the metal sheet when the first translational roller is pressed into contact with the metal sheet between the first roller set and the second roller set. 
     
     
         17 . The variable thickness roll forming system of  claim 16 , further including a second translational roller positioned between the first roller set of the sets of cylindrical shaped rollers and the second roller set of the sets of cylindrical shaped rollers and oppositely about the metal sheet with respect to the first translational roller. 
     
     
         18 . A method for forming a variable thickness blank, comprising:
 aligning multiple sets of cylindrical shaped rollers, each of the multiple sets of rollers including:
 a first roller having a face which is linear where the first roller contacts the metal sheet; and 
 a second roller having multiple shaping faces positioned about a perimeter and directed toward the face of the first roller; and 
   passing a metal sheet through each of the sets of rollers to incrementally induce multiple thickness changes of the metal sheet in a direction transverse to a feed direction of the metal sheet when the metal sheet is passed between the first roller and the second roller of each of the sets of rollers.   
     
     
         19 . The method for forming a variable thickness blank of  claim 18 , further including:
 setting a first spacing distance between a first shaping face of the multiple shaping faces of the second roller and the face of the first roller substantially equal to an initial thickness of the metal sheet;   setting a second spacing distance between a second shaping face of the multiple shaping faces of the second roller and the face of the first roller less than an initial thickness of the metal sheet; and   setting a third spacing distance between a third shaping face of the multiple shaping faces of the second roller and the face of the first roller less than the initial thickness of the metal sheet.   
     
     
         20 . The method for forming a variable thickness blank of  claim 19 , further including positioning the first, second and third shaping faces wherein the metal sheet when passed between the first roller and the second roller forms a roll formed blank having a central portion, a first outer portion and a second outer portion located opposite about the central portion with respect to the first outer portion, the central portion having a thickness greater than a thickness of the first outer portion and the second outer portion.