Truncated dome cup

Abstract

A formed blank is provided. The formed blank includes a stretched portion and/or a truncated protrusion, a tooling assembly structured to form a formed blank including a stretched portion and/or a truncated protrusion, and a method of forming a formed blank including a stretched portion and/or a truncated protrusion. The formed blank includes a base and a depending sidewall. The stretched portion and/or the truncated protrusion is disposed on the formed blank base and the thickness of the stretched portion and/or the truncated protrusion is less than the sidewall. The stretched portion and/or the truncated protrusion utilizes less material relative to an unformed base that has about the same thickness as the sidewall.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A formed blank comprising:
 a body including a base; and   the base including a truncated protrusion.   
     
     
         2 . The formed blank of  claim 1  wherein the truncated protrusion is a truncated dome. 
     
     
         3 . The formed blank of  claim 2  wherein:
 the truncated dome includes a first generally curvilinear portion and a second generally curvilinear portion; 
 the truncated dome first generally curvilinear portion having a first center; and 
 the truncated dome second generally curvilinear portion having a second center. 
 
     
     
         4 . The formed blank of  claim 3  wherein:
 the truncated dome first generally curvilinear portion is a first generally arcuate portion; and 
 the truncated dome second generally curvilinear portion is a second generally arcuate portion. 
 
     
     
         5 . The formed blank of claim I wherein the stretched portion of the truncated protrusion has a generally uniform thickness. 
     
     
         6 . The formed blank of  claim 1  wherein the formed blank has a base gauge and wherein;
 the body includes a sidewall depending from the base: 
 the sidewall has a thickness generally corresponding to the base gauge; and 
 the truncated protrusion has a thickness that is less than the sidewall. 
 
     
     
         7 . The formed blank of  claim 6  wherein the truncated protrusion has a thickness that is between about 0.0003 inch and 0.002 inch thinner than the sidewall. 
     
     
         8 . The formed blank of  claim 1  wherein the formed blank has a reduced volume. 
     
     
         9 . Tooling assembly for forming a blank of material into a formed blank, the formed blank including a base and a depending sidewall, the tooling assembly comprising:
 a first tool assembly;   a second tool assembly;   the first tool assembly and the second tool assembly structured clamp the blank of material at the periphery of the base;   the first tool assembly and the second tool assembly structured to stretch a portion of the base and thereby thin the base stretched portion relative to the sidewall; and   wherein the base stretched portion is generally uniform in thickness.   
     
     
         10 . The tooling assembly of  claim 9  wherein:
 the first tool assembly includes a forming punch; 
 the second tool assembly includes a forming surface; 
 wherein the forming surface includes a truncated protrusion forming profile; and 
 wherein the forming punch moves the blank of material into contact with the truncated protrusion forming profile. 
 
     
     
         11 . The tooling assembly of  claim 10  wherein the forming surface includes a truncated dome forming profile. 
     
     
         12 . The tooling assembly of  claim 11  wherein:
 the truncated dome forming profile includes a first generally curvilinear portion and a second generally curvilinear portion; 
 the truncated dome forming profile first generally curvilinear portion having a first center; and 
 the truncated dome forming profile second generally curvilinear portion having a second center. 
 
     
     
         13 . The tooling assembly of  claim 12  wherein:
 the truncated dome forming profile first generally curvilinear portion is a first generally arcuate portion; and 
 the truncated dome forming profile second generally curvilinear portion is a second generally arcuate portion. 
 
     
     
         14 . The tooling assembly of  claim 9  wherein the blank of material has a base gauge prior to being formed and wherein:
 the first tool assembly and the second tool assembly are structured to form the blank of material into a formed blank including a base and a sidewall; 
 the first tool assembly and the second tool assembly are structured to form the formed blank base with a truncated protrusion; and 
 the first tool assembly and the second tool assembly are structured to form the formed blank sidewall with a thickness about the same as the base gauge; and 
 the first tool assembly and the second tool assembly are structured to form the formed blank truncated protrusion with a thickness that is less than the formed blank sidewall. 
 
     
     
         15 . The tooling assembly of  claim 14  wherein the first tool assembly and the second tool assembly are structured to form the formed blank truncated protrusion with a thickness that is between about 0.0003 inch and 0.002 inch thinner than the formed blank sidewall. 
     
     
         16 . A method of forming a formed blank within a tooling assembly, the tooling assembly including a first tool assembly and a second tool assembly, the method comprising:
 forming a blank of material to include a base and a depending sidewall;   clamping the blank between the first tool assembly and the second tool assembly at the periphery of the base; and   stretching the base thereby thinning a portion of the base relative to the sidewall to form a stretched portion.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  stretching the base thereby thinning a portion of the base relative to the sidewall to form a stretched portion includes stretching the base stretched portion so as to have a generally uniform thickness. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein stretching and thereby thinning a portion of the base relative to the sidewall to form a stretched portion includes forming a truncated protrusion. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein forming a truncated protrusion includes forming a truncated dome. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein forming a truncated dome includes:
 forming a dome with a first generally curvilinear portion and a second generally curvilinear portion; 
 forming the first generally curvilinear portion about a first center; and 
 forming the second generally curvilinear portion about a second center. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the blank has a base gauge and wherein forming the blank of material to include a base and a depending sidewall and stretching and thereby thinning a portion of the base relative to the sidewall to form a stretched portion include:
 forming the sidewall with a thickness generally corresponding to the base gauge; and 
 forming the stretched portion with a thickness that is less than the formed blank sidewall. 
 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein forming the stretched portion with a thickness that is less than the formed blank sidewall includes forming the stretched portion with a thickness that is between about 0.0003 inch and 0.002 inch thinner than the