Die assembly for manufacturing vehicle doors

Abstract

A die assembly for manufacturing a vehicle door includes an upper die assembly having an upper die, and a lower die assembly including a lower die. The lower die assembly includes a lower header binder configured to travel downwardly relative to the lower die an initial forming distance D 1 during a downward forming movement of the upper die assembly. The lower die assembly includes a lower main body binder configured to travel downwardly relative to the lower header binder and the upper die a longer forming distance D 1 +D 2 during the downward forming movement of the upper die assembly. The upper die assembly includes an upper header binder separate from and compressible upwardly relative to the upper die by the lower header binder a compressing distance D c during the downward forming movement of the upper die assembly.

1 . A die assembly for manufacturing a vehicle door comprising:
 an upper die assembly including an upper die;   a lower die assembly including a lower die being shaped complementary to said upper die for collectively forming a main body portion and a header portion of the vehicle door during a downward forming movement F of said upper die assembly;   said lower die assembly including a lower header binder configured to travel downwardly relative to said lower die an initial forming distance D 1  during said downward forming movement of said upper die assembly;   said lower die assembly including a lower main body binder configured to travel downwardly relative to said lower header binder and said upper die a longer forming distance D 1 +D 2  during said downward forming movement of said upper die assembly; and   said upper die assembly including an upper header binder separate from and compressible upwardly relative to said upper die by said lower header binder a compressing distance Dc during said downward forming movement of said upper die assembly to reduce an overall travel and forming stroke of said upper header binder and said lower header binder relative to said upper die and said lower main body binder during manufacturing of the vehicle door.   
     
     
         2 . The die assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said compressing distance Dc of said upper header binder is approximately equal to said longer forming distance D 1 +D 2  of said lower main body binder minus said initial forming distance D 1  of said lower header binder. 
     
     
         3 . The die assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said lower header binder includes a stop for bottoming out against an engagement surface of said lower die assembly to limit downward travel of said lower header binder to said initial forming distance D 1 . 
     
     
         4 . The die assembly as set forth in  claim 3 , further comprising:
 said upper die including an upper main body forming portion, an upper header forming portion, and an upper main body binder surface extending outwardly from said upper main body forming portion; and   said lower die including a lower main body forming portion and a lower header forming portion each being complimentarily shaped to and designed to mate respectively with said upper main body and header forming portions of said upper die during said downward forming movement of said upper die assembly to form said main body portion and said header portion for the vehicle door.   
     
     
         5 . The die assembly as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein said upper die assembly is initially moved downwardly along said downward forming movement F to dispose said upper main body binder surface of said upper die in abutting relationship with said lower main body binder and said upper header binder in abutting relationship with said lower header binder, after which said upper die assembly continues to move downwardly along said downward forming movement F during which said upper die and said upper header binder and said lower main body binder and said lower header binder all collectively travel downwardly by said initial forming distance D 1  while said lower die remains stationary. 
     
     
         6 . The die assembly as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein said stop establishes an upward compressing force on said upper header binder after said lower header binder travels said initial forming distance D 1  after which said upper die assembly continues to travel downwardly along said downward forming movement to compress said upper header binder upwardly relative to said upper die said compressing distance Dc by way of said upward compressing force of said lower header binder while said upper die and said lower main body binder continue travelling downwardly relative to said stationary lower die an additional forming distance D 2  to complete manufacturing of the vehicle door. 
     
     
         7 . The die assembly as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said initial forming distance is equal to approximately 65 mm, said longer forming distance is equal to approximately 165 mm, and said compressing distance Dc is equal to approximately 100 mm. 
     
     
         8 . An upper die assembly comprising:
 an upper die; and   an upper header binder separate from and compressible upwardly relative to said upper die by a compressing distance Dc during a downward forming movement of the upper die assembly to reduce an overall travel and shorter forming stroke of said upper header binder relative to said upper die during manufacture of a vehicle door.   
     
     
         9 . The upper die assembly as set forth in  claim 8 , further comprising:
 an upper shoe presenting an upper shoe surface; and   said upper die fixed to said upper shoe and including an upper main body forming portion, an upper header forming portion, and an upper main body binder surface extending outwardly from said upper main body forming portion and overlaying a portion of said upper shoe surface.   
     
     
         10 . A lower die assembly comprising:
 a lower die being stationary during a manufacture of a vehicle door; and   a lower main body binder and a lower header binder which each travel independently and downwardly relative to said lower die by different respective forming distances to reduce an overall travel and shorter forming stroke of said lower header binder relative to said lower main body binder during the manufacture of the vehicle door.   
     
     
         11 . The lower die assembly as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein said lower main body binder and said lower header binder each travel downwardly an initial forming distance D 1  relative to said lower die, after which said lower main body binder travels downwardly an additional forming distance D 2  relative to said lower header binder and said lower die to establish a longer forming distance D 1 +D 2  for said lower main body binder and a shorter forming distance D 1  for said lower header binder. 
     
     
         12 . The lower die assembly as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein said lower header binder includes a stop for bottoming out against an engagement surface to stop downward travel of said lower header binder after said initial forming distance D 1 . 
     
     
         13 . The lower die assembly as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein said lower die includes a lower main body forming portion and a lower header forming portion.