Patents by Inventor Stephen Kernosky
Stephen Kernosky 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).
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Patent number: 11911817Abstract: An apparatus for forming a part is provided, which includes a die. The die includes a round orifice, a central mandrel disposed within the round orifice, and a plurality of bridges and a corresponding plurality of portholes between the bridges. The bridges and the portholes extending around the central mandrel. A spacing of the bridges around the mandrel is non-equiangular. The die allows a material to be extruded through the die to form a round, closed geometry tube from the material such that the round, closed geometry tube has non-equiangular welds after emerging from the die.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2021Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: Ford Motor CompanyInventors: Andrey M. Ilinich, Stephen Kernosky, Mark Stephen Salmonowicz, S. George Luckey, Jr.
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Patent number: 11168379Abstract: A process for pre-conditioning a hot stamped part is provided. The process includes continuously annealing a boron steel material having an aluminum coating for a predetermined time and at a predetermined temperature such that less than 10 weight % Iron (Fe) is in the aluminum coating and AlSi pockets are formed in the aluminum coating prior to a subsequent hot stamping process, wherein the predetermined time and temperature are a function of a thickness of the boron steel material.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2018Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignee: Ford Motor CompanyInventors: Constantin Chiriac, Raj Sohmshetty, Elizabeth Bullard, James Engle, Stephen Kernosky
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Publication number: 20210291250Abstract: An apparatus for forming a part is provided, which includes a die. The die includes a round orifice, a central mandrel disposed within the round orifice, and a plurality of bridges and a corresponding plurality of portholes between the bridges. The bridges and the portholes extending around the central mandrel. A spacing of the bridges around the mandrel is non-equiangular. The die allows a material to be extruded through the die to form a round, closed geometry tube from the material such that the round, closed geometry tube has non-equiangular welds after emerging from the die.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2021Publication date: September 23, 2021Applicant: Ford Motor CompanyInventors: Andrey M. Ilinich, Stephen Kernosky, Mark Stephen Salmonowicz, S. George Luckey, JR.
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Patent number: 11052445Abstract: A method of forming a part includes extruding a billet through a die, forming a round, closed geometry tube from the billet, and hydroforming the round, closed geometry tube. The extrusion die contains an orifice with a central mandrel, a plurality of bridges, and a corresponding plurality of portholes between the bridges. A spacing of the bridges around the mandrel is non-equiangular. As a result, the round, closed geometry tube has non-equiangular welds after emerging from the die.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2018Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: Ford Motor CompanyInventors: Andrey Ilinich, Stephen Kernosky, Mark Salmonowicz, S. George Luckey, Jr.
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Patent number: 10906080Abstract: A method of orienting a weld seam in an aluminum vehicle body tube is provided. The method may include measuring a periphery of a first end of the tube to locate a position of a pip disposed on a wall of the first end of the tube and rotating the tube so that the weld seam is positioned in a predetermined location suitable for tube forming.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2018Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: FORD MOTOR COMPANYInventors: Frank J. Bishop, Stephen Kernosky, James Engle
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Publication number: 20190314882Abstract: A method of orienting a weld seam in an aluminum vehicle body tube is provided. The method may include measuring a periphery of a first end of the tube to locate a position of a pip disposed on a wall of the first end of the tube and rotating the tube so that the weld seam is positioned in a predetermined location suitable for tube forming.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2018Publication date: October 17, 2019Inventors: Frank J. BISHOP, Stephen KERNOSKY, James ENGLE
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Publication number: 20190249271Abstract: A process for pre-conditioning a hot stamped part is provided. The process includes continuously annealing a boron steel material having an aluminum coating for a predetermined time and at a predetermined temperature such that less than 10% Iron (Fe) is in the aluminum coating and AlSi pockets are formed in the aluminum coating prior to a subsequent hot stamping process, wherein the predetermined time and temperature are a function of a thickness of the boron steel material.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2018Publication date: August 15, 2019Applicant: Ford Motor CompanyInventors: Constantin Chiriac, Raj Sohmshetty, Elizabeth Bullard, James Engle, Stephen Kernosky
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Publication number: 20190232354Abstract: A method of forming a part includes extruding a billet through a die, forming a round, closed geometry tube from the billet, and hydroforming the round, closed geometry tube. The extrusion die contains an orifice with a central mandrel, a plurality of bridges, and a corresponding plurality of portholes between the bridges. A spacing of the bridges around the mandrel is non-equiangular. As a result, the round, closed geometry tube has non-equiangular welds after emerging from the die.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2018Publication date: August 1, 2019Applicant: Ford Motor CompanyInventors: Andrey Ilinich, Stephen Kernosky, Mark Salmonowicz, S. George Luckey, JR.
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Patent number: 10357817Abstract: A method is disclosed for forming an aluminum alloy vehicle body component. An aluminum alloy billet is extruded into an aluminum tube that includes longitudinal weld seams formed in a sidewall of the tube during extrusion. A weld seam locating pip is also formed on a sidewall of the tube during extrusion. The pip is used to locate the weld seams during manufacturing of the body component.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2016Date of Patent: July 23, 2019Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Christopher John May, S. George Luckey, Jr., Andrey M. Ilinich, Stephen Kernosky, Kiran Kumar Mallela, Brett D. Irick
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Patent number: 10086422Abstract: A value stream process or method for forming vehicle rails from extruded aluminum tubes includes the steps of extruding an aluminum tube and hydroforming the extruded aluminum tube into a vehicle rail. More specifically, the method includes extruding the aluminum tube, bending the aluminum tube, preforming the aluminum tube, hydroforming the aluminum tube into a vehicle rail, trimming the vehicle rail to length and then artificially aging the rail followed by batch chemical pretreatment. In an alternative embodiment the artificial aging and batch chemical pretreatment processes are performed in reverse order. In either of the embodiments, localized induction annealing to recover formability may be performed between bending and preforming, between preforming and hydroforming or both.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2014Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: S. George Luckey, Jr., David John Hill, Peter A. Friedman, Christopher John May, Stephen Kernosky, Andrey M. Ilinich
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Patent number: 9925577Abstract: A galling-resistive insert is positioned on an outer surface of a mandrel assembly. The insert is secured at the outer surface of the mandrel assembly and functions to reduce galling of an inner surface of a tubular blank during a rotary-draw bending operation.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2014Date of Patent: March 27, 2018Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Andrey M. Ilinich, S. George Luckey, Jr., Stephen Kernosky, Feng Ren
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Publication number: 20170268086Abstract: A method of recovery heat treatment of a workpiece includes contacting at least a portion of the workpiece with a fluid heated to a temperature sufficient to heat the at least a portion of the workpiece to a predetermined temperature range in a predetermined time period. The method may be implemented as a first step of a two-stage recovery heat treatment or annealing process, followed by a second step of heating the at least a portion of the workpiece to a final target temperature by another annealing process.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2016Publication date: September 21, 2017Inventors: Andrey M. Ilinich, S. George Luckey, JR., Nia R. Harrison, Stephen Kernosky
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Publication number: 20170072450Abstract: A method is disclosed for forming an aluminum alloy vehicle body component. An aluminum alloy billet is extruded into an aluminum tube that includes longitudinal weld seams formed in a sidewall of the tube during extrusion. A weld seam locating pip is also formed on a sidewall of the tube during extrusion. The pip is used to locate the weld seams during manufacturing of the body component.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2016Publication date: March 16, 2017Inventors: Christopher John May, S. George Luckey, Andrey M. Ilinich, Stephen Kernosky, Kiran Kumar Mallela, Brett D. Irick
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Patent number: 9545657Abstract: A method of hydroforming a vehicle rail from an extruded aluminum tube includes the steps of positioning the extruded aluminum tube into a hydroforming die and partially closing the hydroforming die. Next is the step of applying a liquid under a first level of pressure to the extruded aluminum tube in the hydroforming die. This is followed by engaging an inner radius of a bend in the extruded aluminum tube with the hydroforming die before completely closing the hydroforming die and increasing the level of liquid pressure in the workpiece to a second level to form and hydro-pierce a part from the extruded aluminum tube.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2014Date of Patent: January 17, 2017Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Andrey M. Ilinich, Stephen Kernosky, Christopher John May, S. George Luckey, Jr.
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Patent number: 9533343Abstract: An extruded aluminum alloy tube for hydroforming into an automotive body component includes a wall defining a closed perimeter. The wall includes weld seams disposed in the wall and running longitudinally along the tube. An extruded pip is disposed on the wall and runs longitudinally along the tube. The pip is parallel to the seams and is configured to identify a location of the seams for alignment of the tube during manufacturing.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2014Date of Patent: January 3, 2017Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Christopher John May, S. George Luckey, Jr., Andrey M. Ilinich, Stephen Kernosky, Kiran Kumar Mallela, Brett D. Irick
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Publication number: 20160001345Abstract: A value stream process or method for forming vehicle rails from extruded aluminum tubes includes the steps of extruding an aluminum tube and hydroforming the extruded aluminum tube into a vehicle rail. More specifically, the method includes extruding the aluminum tube, bending the aluminum tube, preforming the aluminum tube, hydroforming the aluminum tube into a vehicle rail, trimming the vehicle rail to length and then artificially aging the rail followed by batch chemical pretreatment. In an alternative embodiment the artificial aging and batch chemical pretreatment processes are performed in reverse order. In either of the embodiments, localized induction annealing to recover formability may be performed between bending and preforming, between preforming and hydroforming or both.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2014Publication date: January 7, 2016Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: S. George Luckey, JR., David John Hill, Peter A. Friedman, Christopher John May, Stephen Kernosky, Andrey M. Ilinich
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Publication number: 20150375800Abstract: A reinforcement received between facing surfaces of adjacent panels that may be part of a hinge pillar of a vehicle such as a pickup truck and the panels may be aluminum. The reinforcement may be a one-piece molded structure. The reinforcement includes ribs that extend between the facing surfaces in a lattice arrangement defining a plurality of cells. The cells may have a number of transverse walls defining a perimeter of a polygon. The polygonal cells may have a facing wall on one side of the cell closing the cell. The facing wall may have an adhesive that is applied to the reinforcement and expanded in a paint bake oven to secure the reinforcement to the adjacent panels.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2014Publication date: December 31, 2015Inventors: Darrin Neil Wagner, Charles Ko, Leonard Anthony Shaner, Christopher John May, Roman Grygosinski, Andrey M. Ilinich, Stephen Kernosky, S. George Luckey, JR., Edgar Edward Donabedian
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Publication number: 20150360281Abstract: An extruded aluminum alloy tube for hydroforming into an automotive body component includes a wall defining a closed perimeter. The wall includes weld seams disposed in the wall and running longitudinally along the tube. An extruded pip is disposed on the wall and runs longitudinally along the tube. The pip is parallel to the seams and is configured to identify a location of the seams for alignment of the tube during manufacturing.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2014Publication date: December 17, 2015Inventors: Christopher John May, S. George Luckey, JR., Andrey M. Ilinich, Stephen Kernosky, Kiran Kumar Mallela, Brett D. Irick
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Publication number: 20150352626Abstract: A method of hydroforming a vehicle rail from an extruded aluminum tube includes the steps of positioning the extruded aluminum tube into a hydroforming die and partially closing the hydroforming die. Next is the step of applying a liquid under a first level of pressure to the extruded aluminum tube in the hydroforming die. This is followed by engaging an inner radius of a bend in the extruded aluminum tube with the hydroforming die before completely closing the hydroforming die and increasing the level of liquid pressure in the workpiece to a second level to form and hydro-pierce a part from the extruded aluminum tube.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 10, 2014Publication date: December 10, 2015Inventors: Andrey M. Ilinich, Stephen Kernosky, Christopher John May, S. George Luckey, JR.
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Publication number: 20150328671Abstract: A galling-resistive insert is positioned on an outer surface of a mandrel assembly. The insert is secured at the outer surface of the mandrel assembly and functions to reduce galling of an inner surface of a tubular blank during a rotary-draw bending operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2014Publication date: November 19, 2015Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Andrey M. Ilinich, S. George Luckey, JR., Stephen Kernosky, Feng Ren