Patents by Inventor Francis Schmit

Francis Schmit has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240116141
    Abstract: A welded steel part with a very high mechanical strength is provided. The welded steel part is obtained by heating followed by hot forming, then cooling of at least one welded blank obtained by butt welding of at least one first and one second sheet. The at least one first and second sheets including, at least in part, a steel substrate and a pre-coating which includes an intermetallic alloy layer in contact with the steel substrate, topped by a metal alloy layer of aluminum or aluminum-based alloy. A method for the fabrication of a welded steel part and the fabrication of structural or safety parts for automotive vehicles are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Laurent Cretteur, Qingdong Yin, Francis Schmit, Wolfram Ehling
  • Patent number: 11911847
    Abstract: A method for producing a part includes providing a first and a second precoated sheet (1,2), butt welding the first and second precoated sheets (1) to obtain a blank (15), and heating the blank (15) to a heat treatment temperature at least 10° C. lower than the full austenitization temperature of the weld joint (22) and at least 15° C. higher than a minimum temperature Tmin: T min ? ( ° ? ? C . ) = AC ? ? 3 ? ( WJ ) - ? IC max 100 ? ( Ac ? ? 3 ? ( WJ ) - 673 - 40 × Al ) .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: ARCELORMITTAL
    Inventors: Francis Schmit, Maria Poirier, Sadok Gaied
  • Publication number: 20240042556
    Abstract: A method for the preparation of steel sheets for fabricating a welded steel blank is provided. The method includes a step of removing at least part of the first and second metal alloy layers in first and second peripheral zones of pre-coated steel first and second sheets, respectively, by simultaneously ablating the first and second precoatings in the first and second peripheral zones of the pre-coated steel first and second sheets to define first and second ablation zones, the first and second peripheral zones being zones of the first and second principal faces closest to the median plane and located on either side of the median plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Francis SCHMIT, Rene VIERSTRAETE, Qingdong YIN, Wolfram EHLING
  • Patent number: 11826856
    Abstract: A method for the preparation of steel sheets for fabricating a welded steel blank is provided. The method includes a step of removing at least part of the first and second metal alloy layers in first and second peripheral zones of pre-coated steel first and second sheets, respectively, by simultaneously ablating the first and second precoatings in the first and second peripheral zones of the pre-coated steel first and second sheets to define first and second ablation zones, the first and second peripheral zones being zones of the first and second principal faces closest to the median plane and located on either side of the median plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: ArcelorMittal
    Inventors: Francis Schmit, Rene Vierstraete, Qingdong Yin, Wolfram Ehling
  • Patent number: 11786993
    Abstract: A method for producing a precoated steel sheet (1) includes providing a precoated steel strip comprising a steel substrate (3) having, on at least one of its main faces, a precoating comprising an intermetallic alloy layer and a metallic alloy layer. The metallic alloy layer is a layer of aluminum, a layer of aluminum alloy or a layer of aluminum-based alloy. The method also includes laser cutting said precoated steel strip so as to obtain at least one precoated steel sheet (1) comprising a cut edge surface (13) resulting from the cutting operation. The cut edge surface (13) includes a substrate region (14) and a precoating region (15) and the thickness of the precoated steel sheet (1) is comprised between 0.8 mm and 5 mm. The laser cutting is carried out such that it results directly in a corrosion-improved zone (19) of the cut edge surface (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: ARCELORMITTAL
    Inventors: Francis Schmit, Quentin Bernardi
  • Publication number: 20220347797
    Abstract: A welded steel part with a very high mechanical strength is provided. The welded steel part is obtained by heating followed by hot forming, then cooling of at least one welded blank obtained by butt welding of at least one first and one second sheet. The at least one first and second sheets including, at least in part, a steel substrate and a pre-coating which includes an intermetallic alloy layer in contact with the steel substrate, topped by a metal alloy layer of aluminum or aluminum-based alloy. A method for the fabrication of a welded steel part and the fabrication of structural or safety parts for automotive vehicles are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: Laurent Cretteur, Qingdong Yin, Francis Schmit, Wolfram Ehling
  • Patent number: 11426820
    Abstract: A welded steel part with a very high mechanical strength is provided. The welded steel part is obtained by heating followed by hot forming, then cooling of at least one welded blank obtained by butt welding of at least one first and one second sheet. The at least one first and second sheets including, at least in part, a steel substrate and a pre-coating which includes an intermetallic alloy layer in contact with the steel substrate, topped by a metal alloy layer of aluminum or aluminum-based alloy. A method for the fabrication of a welded steel part and the fabrication of structural or safety parts for automotive vehicles are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: ArcelorMittal
    Inventors: Laurent Cretteur, Qingdong Yin, Francis Schmit, Wolfram Ehling
  • Publication number: 20220072658
    Abstract: A method for producing a welded steel blank (1) includes providing two precoated sheets (2), each comprising a steel substrate (3) having a precoating (5) on each of its two main faces (4), each sheet (2) comprising, on each main face (4), at a weld edge (14), a removal zone (18) in which the precoating (5) is removed over a removal fraction; and butt welding the sheets (2) using a filler wire (20) so as to create a weld joint (22) having an aluminum content AlWJ comprised between 0.1 wt. % and 1.2 wt. %. The composition of the wire (20) and the proportion of wire (20) added is such that the weld joint (22) has: (a) a quenching factor FTWJ such that FTWJ?0.96FTBM?0, (b) a nickel content NiWJ?14?3.4×AlWJ and a chromium content CrWJ?5?2×AlWJ, where AlWJ is the aluminum content of the weld joint (22).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2018
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Francis SCHMIT, Maria POIRIER, Cristian ALVAREZ, Lucille GOUTON, Thierry DAVID, Ivan VIAUX
  • Patent number: 11097377
    Abstract: A method for the preparation of steel sheets for fabricating a welded steel blank is provided. The method includes procuring at least two pre-coated steel sheets, each having a pre-coating of an intermetallic alloy layer, topped by a layer of aluminum metal or aluminum alloy or aluminum-based alloy. The sheets have a principal face, an opposite principal face, and at least one secondary face. The sheets are positioned so a gap between 0.02 and 2 mm exists between the secondary faces. The secondary faces face each other. The positioning of the first and second sheets defines a median plane perpendicular to the principal faces. Layers of metal alloy are removed by melting and vaporization simultaneously on the principal faces, in a peripheral zone of the sheets, the peripheral zones being the zones of the principal faces closest in relation to the median plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: ArcelorMittal
    Inventors: Francis Schmit, Rene Vierstraete, Qingdong Yin, Wolfram Ehling
  • Publication number: 20210162550
    Abstract: A method for the preparation of steel sheets for fabricating a welded steel blank is provided. The method includes a step of removing at least part of the first and second metal alloy layers in first and second peripheral zones of pre-coated steel first and second sheets, respectively, by simultaneously ablating the first and second precoatings in the first and second peripheral zones of the pre-coated steel first and second sheets to define first and second ablation zones, the first and second peripheral zones being zones of the first and second principal faces closest to the median plane and located on either side of the median plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Francis SCHMIT, Rene VIERSTRAETE, Qingdong YIN, Wolfram EHLING
  • Publication number: 20210107092
    Abstract: A method for producing a precoated steel sheet (1) includes providing a precoated steel strip comprising a steel substrate (3) having, on at least one of its main faces, a precoating comprising an intermetallic alloy layer and a metallic alloy layer. The metallic alloy layer is a layer of aluminum, a layer of aluminum alloy or a layer of aluminum-based alloy. The method also includes laser cutting said precoated steel strip so as to obtain at least one precoated steel sheet (1) comprising a cut edge surface (13) resulting from the cutting operation. The cut edge surface (13) includes a substrate region (14) and a precoating region (15) and the thickness of the precoated steel sheet (1) is comprised between 0.8 mm and 5 mm. The laser cutting is carried out such that it results directly in a corrosion-improved zone (19) of the cut edge surface (13).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Francis SCHMIT, Quentin BERNARDI
  • Publication number: 20210053154
    Abstract: A method for producing a part includes providing a first and a second precoated sheet (1,2), butt welding the first and second precoated sheets (1) to obtain a blank (15), and heating the blank (15) to a heat treatment temperature at least 10° C. lower than the full austenitization temperature of the weld joint (22) and at least 15° C. higher than a minimum temperature T T min ? ( ° ? ? C . ) = AC ? ? 3 ? ( WJ ) - ? IC max 100 ? ( Ac ? ? 3 ? ( WJ ) - 673 - 40 × Al ) .
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Francis SCHMIT, Maria POIRIER, Sadok GAIED
  • Patent number: 10919117
    Abstract: The invention relates principally to a welded steel part with a very high mechanical strength characteristics obtained by heating followed by hot forming, then cooling of at least one welded blank obtained by butt welding of at least one first and one second sheet consisting at least in part of a steel substrate and a pre-coating which is constituted by an intermetallic alloy layer in contact with the steel substrate, topped by a metal alloy layer of aluminum or aluminum-based alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: ARCELORMITTAL INVESTIGACIÓN Y DESARROLLO, S.L.
    Inventors: Laurent Cretteur, Qingdong Yin, Francis Schmit, Wolfram Ehling
  • Patent number: 10828729
    Abstract: A welded steel part with a very high mechanical strength is provided. The welded steel part is obtained by heating followed by hot forming, then cooling of at least one welded blank obtained by butt welding of at least one first and one second sheet. The at least one first and second sheets including, at least in part, a steel substrate and a pre-coating which includes an intermetallic alloy layer in contact with the steel substrate, topped by a metal alloy layer of aluminum or aluminum-based alloy. A method for the fabrication of a welded steel part and the fabrication of structural or safety parts for automotive vehicles are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: ArcelorMittal
    Inventors: Laurent Cretteur, Qingdong Yin, Francis Schmit, Wolfram Ehling
  • Patent number: 10780529
    Abstract: A welded blank includes a first pre-coated steel sheet, a second pre-coated steel sheet the first pre-coated steel sheet including a principal first face and an opposite principal first face, the first layer being removed by melting and vaporization in a first peripheral zone of the first pre-coated steel sheet, and the second pre-coated steel sheet including a second principal face and an opposite second principal face, the second layer being removed by melting and vaporization in a second peripheral zone of the second pre-coated steel sheet. At least one welded joint defining a median plane perpendicular to the first and second principal faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: ArcelorMittal
    Inventors: Francis Schmit, Rene Vierstraete, Qingdong Yin, Wolfram Ehling
  • Patent number: 10668570
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the preparation of steel sheets to be fabricated into a welded steel blank. The method includes procuring at least one pre-coated first steel sheet and one pre-coated second steel sheet, made up of a steel substrate and a pre-coating made up of an intermetallic alloy layer in contact with the steel substrate, topped by a layer of aluminum metal or aluminum alloy or aluminum-based alloy, the first sheet having a principal face, an opposite principal face, and at least one secondary face, the second sheet having a principal face, an opposite principal face and at least one secondary face, positioning the first and second sheets, leaving a gap of between 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: ArcelorMittal
    Inventors: Francis Schmit, René Vierstraete, Qingdong Yin, Wolfram Ehling
  • Patent number: 10654134
    Abstract: A method for the preparation of steel sheets for fabricating a welded steel blank is provided. The method includes procuring at least two pre-coated steel sheets, each having a pre-coating of an intermetallic alloy layer, topped by a layer of aluminum metal or aluminum alloy or aluminum-based alloy. The sheets have a principal face, an opposite principal face, and at least one secondary face. The sheets are positioned so a gap between 0.02 and 2 mm exists between the secondary faces. The secondary faces face each other. The positioning of the first and second sheets defines a median plane perpendicular to the principal faces. Layers of metal alloy are removed by melting and vaporization simultaneously on the principal faces, in a peripheral zone of the sheets, the peripheral zones being the zones of the principal faces closest in relation to the median plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: ArcelorMittal
    Inventors: Francis Schmit, Rene Vierstraete, Qingdong Yin, Wolfram Ehling
  • Publication number: 20200016697
    Abstract: A method for the preparation of steel sheets for fabricating a welded steel blank is provided. The method includes procuring at least two pre-coated steel sheets, each having a pre-coating of an intermetallic alloy layer, topped by a layer of aluminum metal or aluminum alloy or aluminum-based alloy. The sheets have a principal face, an opposite principal face, and at least one secondary face. The sheets are positioned so a gap between 0.02 and 2 mm exists between the secondary faces. The secondary faces face each other. The positioning of the first and second sheets defines a median plane perpendicular to the principal faces. Layers of metal alloy are removed by melting and vaporization simultaneously on the principal faces, in a peripheral zone of the sheets, the peripheral zones being the zones of the principal faces closest in relation to the median plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: Francis SCHMIT, Rene VIERSTRAETE, Qingdong YIN, Wolfram EHLING
  • Publication number: 20200001402
    Abstract: A method for the preparation of steel sheets for fabricating a welded steel blank is provided. The method includes procuring at least two pre-coated steel sheets, each having a pre-coating of an intermetallic alloy layer, topped by a layer of aluminum metal or aluminum alloy or aluminum-based alloy. The sheets have a principal face, an opposite principal face, and at least one secondary face. The sheets are positioned so a gap between 0.02 and 2 mm exists between the secondary faces. The secondary faces face each other. The positioning of the first and second sheets defines a median plane perpendicular to the principal faces. Layers of metal alloy are removed by melting and vaporization simultaneously on the principal faces, in a peripheral zone of the sheets, the peripheral zones being the zones of the principal faces closest in relation to the median plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Francis SCHMIT, Rene VIERSTRAETE, Qingdong YIN, Wolfram EHLING
  • Publication number: 20200001403
    Abstract: A welded blank includes a first pre-coated steel sheet, a second pre-coated steel sheet the first pre-coated steel sheet including a principal first face and an opposite principal first face, the first layer being removed by melting and vaporization in a first peripheral zone of the first pre-coated steel sheet, and the second pre-coated steel sheet including a second principal face and an opposite second principal face, the second layer being removed by melting and vaporization in a second peripheral zone of the second pre-coated steel sheet. At least one welded joint defining a median plane perpendicular to the first and second principal faces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Francis SCHMIT, Rene VIERSTRAETE, Qingdong YIN, Wolfram EHLING