Expanded metal with loops in different shapes

Abstract

The invention relates to an expanded metal, comprising: a sheet of expanded sheet metal including openings configured as loops that are essentially introduced without a material loss and which are defined by a loop width, a loop length and a loop shape; and bars that envelop the loops and that are defined by a bar width and a bar thickness, wherein plural loops are arranged in columns behind one another and in rows adjacent to each other. It is an object of the invention to find new applications for expanded metal in the production of automobiles by providing an expanded metal with new properties. The object is achieved by an expanded metal with the features of claim 1 , in particular its characterizing features, wherein columns of first loops differ from columns of second loops in a loop width and/or in a loop length so that the sheet of the expanded metal is provided with openings with different loop shapes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An expanded metal, comprising:
 a sheet of expanded sheet metal that includes openings configured as loops that are introduced essentially without a material loss and which are defined by a loop width, a loop length and a loop shape; and   bars that envelop the loops and that are defined by a bar width and a bar thickness,   wherein plural of the loops are arranged in columns behind one another and in rows adjacent to each other,   wherein first columns of first loops differ from second columns of second loops in a loop width or in a loop length so that the sheet of the expanded metal is provided with openings with different loop shapes.   
     
     
         2 . The expanded metal according to  claim 1 , wherein the sheet is divided into column sections wherein each of the column sections has loop columns with an identical loop shape. 
     
     
         3 . The expanded metal according to  claim 2 , wherein a loop shape of loops of the first column section is configured as a mirror image of a loop shape of loops of a second column section. 
     
     
         4 . The expanded metal according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein at least three column sections are provided,   wherein a center section includes loops with a first loop shape, and   wherein loops of columns that are respectively laterally arranged relative to the center section are configured as mirror images of each other.   
     
     
         5 . The expanded metal according to  claim 1 , characterized in that each loop column has a loop shape that differs from loop shapes of adjacent columns. 
     
     
         6 . The expanded metal according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein loop shapes of respective loop columns vary from a first outer column with a loop shape that is distorted by a maximum amount in one direction to a center column with a symmetrical loop shape to a second outer column with a loop shape that is distorted by a maximum amount in an opposite direction.   
     
     
         7 . A cover for a car interior for ventilation and blower openings, defrosters or ventilation inlets fabricated from a piece of expanded metal according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         8 . The cover according to  claim 7 , wherein a loop shape of individual loop columns or a loop shape of loops of column sections determines a flow direction of air flowing through the cover. 
     
     
         9 . A device for producing the expanded metal according to  claim 1 , the device comprising:
 a feed which feeds a piece of sheet metal in feed steps to an expansion blade,   wherein the expansion blade has an alternating movement component that is horizontal and transversal to a feed direction of the piece of sheet metal, and   wherein the expansion blade is provided with a plurality of teeth which penetrate into the piece of sheet metal with a vertical movement component to produce the loops, and   wherein the expansion blade has teeth with different shapes or orientations relative to adjacent teeth.   
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 9 , wherein teeth with identical shape or orientation are arranged in groups. 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 10 , wherein the teeth of a first group are arranged or shaped as mirror images of teeth of a second group. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein an orientation of the teeth of the expansion blade changes continuously starting from a first edge tooth over a center tooth to a second edge tooth that is arranged remote from the first edge tooth,   wherein teeth that are arranged equidistant from the center tooth are oriented as mirror images of each other.   
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 9 ,
 Wherein a shape of the teeth of the expansion blade changes continuously starting from a first edge tooth over a center tooth to a second edge tooth that is arranged remote from the first edge tooth, and   wherein teeth that are arranged equidistant from the center tooth are configured as mirror images of each other.