Method Of Fabricating Roll-Bonded Expanded Load-Bearing Aluminum Laminate Structural Elements For Vehicle

Abstract

A laminate includes two pieces of metallic material bonded together at a plurality of regularly spaced-apart bonded regions. The laminate is formable during processing into a variety of vehicle structural elements.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laminate comprising two pieces of metallic material bonded together at a plurality of regularly spaced-apart bonded regions. 
     
     
         2 . The laminate of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of regions comprises plurality of circular bonded regions. 
     
     
         3 . The laminate of  claim 1  wherein all of the bonded regions have the same shape. 
     
     
         4 . The laminate herein all of the bonded regions have the same dimensions. 
     
     
         5 . The laminate of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of bonded regions comprises plurality of elliptical bonded regions. 
     
     
         6 . The laminate of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of bonded regions comprises plurality of rectangular bonded regions. 
     
     
         7 . The laminate of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of bonded regions comprises plurality of cross-shaped bonded regions. 
     
     
         8 . The laminate of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of bonded regions comprises plurality of “S”-shaped bonded regions. 
     
     
         9 . The laminate of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of bonded regions comprises plurality of square-shaped bonded regions. 
     
     
         10 . The laminate of  claim 1  wherein the laminate further comprises a continuous unbonded region extending around the bonded regions. 
     
     
         11 . The laminate of  claim 10  wherein the pieces of material are spaced apart from each other in the continuous unbonded region. 
     
     
         12 . The laminate of  claim 1  further comprising at least one edge and at least one bonded flange extending between the plurality of bonded regions and the at least one edge. 
     
     
         13 . A laminate comprising two pieces of metallic material bonded together at a plurality of regions, each region having the same shape.