Abstract: Bimetal laminate structures and an improved method for manufacturing the same are provided herein. In one preferred embodiment, the laminate structure includes a first constraining layer that is fabricated from a metallic material, such as stainless steel. A second constraining layer that is appreciably thicker than the first is also included. The second constraining layer is fabricated from a different metallic material, such as low-carbon cold rolled steel. An adhesive layer spans between and rigidly bonds the first and second constraining layers. The first and second constraining layers have a thickness ratio, a yield strength ratio, and a springback ratio that are collectively optimized such that the laminate structure can be formed, preferably through a deep drawing operation, to define one or more depressions/basins of a predetermined depth without delaminating or cracking. The adhesion strength of the adhesive layer is also engineered to prevent separation of the two constraining layers.

Abstract: A tub is configured for attachment to a vehicle floor to receive a collapsed vehicle seat therein. The tub is formed from a laminated sheet structure including two layers of cold rolled steel having a viscoelastic layer therebetween spanning the entirety of both steel layers. The tub body has a rim, side walls extending downward from the rim, and a bottom supported by the side walls. The tub body is approximately 10? deep from the rim to the bottom. The laminated sheet structure has a bending rigidity between approximately 9.7 and 16.5 Nm to enable the forming of the side walls.