Patent ID: 9289855
Filing Date: 2016-03-22
CPC Classification: B23K,B32B,C22C,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A sheet metal piece for use in a welding process, comprising: a base material layer having a thickness in a range of about 0.5 mm to about 2.0 mm; a coating material layer having a thickness in a range of about 5 μm to about 100 μm; an intermediate material layer having a thickness in a range of about 1 μm to about 15 μm and being located between the base material layer and the coating material layer and including an intermetallic compound having at least one constituent from each of the base material layer and the coating material layer; and an edge region being located along an edge of the sheet metal piece that is to be welded and including a weld notch defined at least partially by a weld notch surface, the weld notch has a depth (D) that varies across a width (W) so that an average depth of the weld notch is greatest towards the edge of the sheet metal piece, wherein at the edge of the sheet metal piece material from both the coating material layer and the intermediate material layer is completely removed but a substantial portion of the base material layer remains at the edge of the sheet metal piece.