Patent Publication Number: US-8968855-B2

Title: Method of forming a component having an insert

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a component having an insert and a method of forming the component having the insert. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Motor vehicle components are commonly subjected to vibrations during the course of normal operation. Among other potential adverse affects, these vibrations may result in noise that gets transmitted into the vehicle&#39;s passenger compartment and beyond. The vibration that occurs might also lead to fatigue and failure of the components. In an effort to reduce the transmission of noise to the passenger compartment, dampers may be attached to components of the vehicle. 
     SUMMARY 
     A component includes a cast portion and an insert. The cast portion includes a sacrificial suspension device. The insert is configured to provide damping to the component. The sacrificial suspension device is dissolved during a casting process, into a molten material, forming the cast portion such that the insert is fully encapsulated by the cast portion, including the dissolved suspension device. 
     A method of manufacturing a component having a cast portion includes providing an insert with a body having a sacrificial suspension device operatively attached to the insert. The insert and the sacrificial suspension device are positioned in a cavity of a mold such that the sacrificial suspension device positions the body in spaced relationship to the mold. A molten material comprising a metal is cast around the body of the insert to form the cast portion such that the insert is encapsulated within the cast portion. 
     A damper assembly is configured for insertion into a mold for forming a cast component. The damper assembly includes an insert and a sacrificial suspension device. The insert is configured to provide damping to the component. The sacrificial suspension device is operatively attached to the insert. The sacrificial suspension device includes a melting temperature which is less than a melting temperature of the insert, such that the sacrificial suspension device is configured to be dissolved during casting of the component. 
     The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present disclosure are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best modes for carrying out the disclosure when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic partial perspective view of a component; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic partial cross-sectional side view of the component of  FIG. 1 , taken along line  2 - 2 , including an insert cast into a cast portion; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a mold defining a cavity with a damper assembly, including the insert and a pair of sacrificial suspension devices, positioned inside the cavity; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlargement of the area “FIG.  4 ,” as provided in  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic partial side view of another embodiment of the damper assembly with an alternative sacrificial suspension device attached to the insert; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic partial side view of another embodiment of the damper assembly with an alternative sacrificial suspension device attached to the insert; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic partial side view of another embodiment of the damper assembly with an alternative sacrificial suspension device attached to the insert; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic partial side view of another embodiment of the damper assembly with an alternative sacrificial suspension device attached to the insert; and 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic partial side view of yet another embodiment of the damper assembly with an alternative sacrificial suspension device attached to the insert. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the Figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, a component  10  is shown generally at  10  in  FIG. 1 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , the component  10  includes a cast portion  12  and an insert  14 . 
     The cast portion  12  includes a material  16  cast from a molten material  18  and a sacrificial suspension device  20 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The insert  14  is configured to provide damping to the component  10 . Referring again to  FIG. 2 , the insert  14  is completely encapsulated, or otherwise hermetically sealed, within the cast portion  12 . The inserts  14  may be cast-in-place (CIP) inserts which are cast within the cast portion  12  using high pressure die casting. 
     A damper assembly  22  is provided for insertion into a mold  52  to cast the component  10  from the molten material  18 . The damper assembly  22  includes the insert  14  and the sacrificial suspension device  20 , operatively attached to the insert  14 . The sacrificial suspension device  20  is configured to secure and position the insert  14  within the mold  52 . The sacrificial suspension device  20  may be more than one sacrificial suspension device  20 . The sacrificial suspension device  20  includes a metal which has a melting temperature that is no greater than a melting temperature of the material  16  of the cast portion  12  and less than a melting temperature of the insert  14 . This allows the sacrificial suspension devices  20  to be consumed, or otherwise dissolved within the molten material  18 , during casting of the component  10 , while preventing the insert  14  from being melted by the molten material  18 . Said differently, the melting temperature of the sacrificial suspension device  20  is no greater than the melting temperature of the material  16  so that the sacrificial suspension device  20  is melted by the molten material  18 , i.e., after the material  16  has reached its melting temperature, and the sacrificial suspension device  20  is consumed by the molten material  18 . Since the sacrificial suspension device  20  is formed from the same material  16  as the molten material  18 , issues relating to using dissimilar materials, such as the coefficients of thermal expansion, thermal conductivity changes, differential frictional characteristics, and any other operational issues, are eliminated. The sacrificial suspension devices  20  can be produced via extrusion or other methods, such as die casting and the like. 
     The sacrificial suspension device  20  is configured to hold or position the insert  14  in spaced relationship to the mold  52  such that the molten material  18  can flow about the entire insert  14  as the component  10  is being cast. As a result, the insert  14  is fully encapsulated, or otherwise hermetically sealed, by the cast portion  12 , including the dissolved suspension device  20 . Therefore, the sacrificial suspension devices  20  position the insert  14  to a desired location within the cast portion  12 . 
     The component  10  is formed by positioning the damper assembly  22  in the cavity  32  of the mold  52  such that the sacrificial suspension device(s)  20  hold, or otherwise position, the body  24  in spaced relationship to the mold  52 . The molten material  18  is cast around the insert  14  to form the cast portion  12 . As the molten material  18  flows around the insert  14 , the molten material  18  melts the suspension device such that the suspension device becomes entirely dissolved by the molten material  18 . After casting, the insert  14  is entirely encapsulated within the cast portion  12 . The enclosure of the insert  14  inside the cavity  32  of the mold  52  can prevent extension of the insert  14  outside the component. No additional features are necessary to the mold  52  in order to accommodate the insert  14 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the insert  14  extends between a pair of ends  30  and presents a first face  26  and a second face  28 , opposite the first face  26 . The insert  14  also includes a body  24  which presents an exterior surface  34 . A coating  36  is disposed on the exterior surface  34  and completely covers the exterior surface  34  of the body  24 . Therefore, the coating  36  is disposed between the cast portion  12  and the body  24  of the insert  14  once the component  10  is cast. The coating  36  may be about 5 micrometers (μm) to about 500 μm thick and comprises a plurality of particles, flakes, fibers, and the like. The coating  36  may include silica, alumina, graphite with clay, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, cordierite (magnesium-iron-aluminum silicate), mullite (aluminum silicate), zirconia (zirconium oxide), phyllosilicates, other high-temperature-resistant particles, clay, Al2O3, SiO2, a lignosulfonate binder, a calcium lignosulfonate binder, cristobalite (SiO2), a fiber, a ceramic fiber, a mineral fiber, quartz, an epoxy resin, a phosphoric acid binding agent, calcium aluminates, sodium silicates, wood flour, non-refractory polymeric materials, ceramics, composites, wood, a liquid dispersed mixture of alumina-silicate-based, organically bonded refractory mix, and the like. 
     At least a portion of the coating  36  may have a melting temperature which is greater that a melting temperature of the material  16  of the cast portion  12 . This higher melting temperature may prevent the coating  36  from being consumed by, or otherwise dissolved within, the molten material  18  during the casting process. 
     The body  24  of the insert  14  may include titanium, steel, stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum, magnesium, zinc, and/or the like. 
     The sacrificial suspension device  20  may be formed by extrusion and subsequent assembly by bending materials, casting, and the like. A distance between the contact points  50  may be changed to enable a range of insert  14  thicknesses (including coatings  36 ), sizes and shapes of inserts  14 , and locations of inserts  14  within the cavity  32 . As discussed above, the sacrificial suspension device  20  may be formed of the material  16  to be cast so that the sacrificial suspension device  20  will diffusion bond to the solidifying metal (cast portion  12 ) during casting and ensure a high integrity casting. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 3 , the sacrificial suspensions device may be operatively attached to the insert  14 , proximate a respective end  30  of the insert  14 . The sacrificial suspension device  20  may be a spring clip  38  having a general rectangular or square shape and including a metal. The sacrificial suspension device  20  includes a first side  40 , a second side  42 , a third side  44 , a first finger  46 , and a second finger  48 . The second side  42  and the third side  44  extend generally perpendicularly from the first side  40  in spaced and generally parallel relationship to one another. The first finger  46  extends generally perpendicularly from the second side  42 , toward the third side  44 . The second finger  48  extends generally perpendicularly from the third side  44 , toward the second side  42 . Therefore, the first finger  46  and the second finger  48  may be collinear and extend in spaced and generally parallel relationship to the first side  40 . The first finger  46  and the second finger  48  each terminate at a respective contact point  50 . The spring clip  38  is in clamping engagement with the insert  14  such that the contact point  50  of the second finger  48  engages the first face  26  and the contact point  50  of the first finger  46  engages the second face  28  to retain the insert  14  therebetween. Therefore, each finger  46 ,  48  is configured to position the respective first side  40  and second side  42  of the insert  14  in spaced relationship to the mold  52 . Additionally, in order to space the ends  30  of the insert  14  from the mold  52  such that the insert  14  can be completely encapsulated within the cast portion  12  after casting, the first side  40  of the sacrificial suspension device  20  may be spaced from respective end  30  of the insert  14 . 
     By way of non-limiting examples,  FIGS. 5-9  illustrate that the sacrificial suspension device  20  may be formed in different shapes as well as that which is illustrated in the previous Figures. The sacrificial suspension device  120  of  FIG. 5  includes the first side  40 , the second side  42 , the third side  44 , the first finger  46 , and the second finger  48 . The second side  42  and the third side  44  extend from the first side  40  in converging relationship to one another and each side  42 ,  44  terminates at a respective contact point  50 . The first finger  46  extends from the second side  42 , away from the first side  40 , such that the second side  42  and the first finger  46  combine to present an L-shape. The second finger  48  extends from the third side  44 , away from the first side  40 , such that the third side  44  and the second finger  48  combine to present an L-shape. Therefore, the first finger  46  and the second finger  48  extend from the respective second side  42  and third side  44  in diverging relationship to one another. The sacrificial suspension device  120  is in clamping engagement with the insert  14  such that the contact points  50  engage the faces  26 ,  28  to retain the insert  14  therebetween. 
     The sacrificial suspension device  220  of  FIG. 6  includes a first side  40 , a second side  42 , a first finger  46 , and a second finger  48 . The first side  40  extends in diverging relationship to the second side  42  such that a vertex  54  is defined between the first side  40  and the second side  42 . The first finger  46  extends from the first side  40  and the second finger  48  extends from the second side  42  such that the first finger  46  and the second finger  48  extend in converging relationship to one another. Additionally, the first finger  46  and the second finger  48  each terminate at a respective contact point  50 . The sacrificial suspension device  220  is in clamping engagement with the insert  14  such that the contact points  50  engage the respective corresponding faces  26 ,  28  to retain the insert  14  therebetween. Additionally, in order to more precisely locate the sacrificial suspension device  220  onto the insert  14 , the sacrificial suspension device  220  may be positioned such that each of the first side  40  and second side  42  contacts the insert  14  at a respective locating point  56  and the vertex  54  is disposed in spaced relationship to the respective end  30  of the insert  14 . 
     The sacrificial suspension device  320 , shown in  FIG. 7 , may be identical to that which is shown in  FIG. 6 , except that a nose  58  extends from the vertex  54 , opposite each of the first finger  46  and the second finger  48 . The nose  58  may be configured to index off of the mold  52  to more precisely position the insert  14  in spaced relationship to the mold  52 , within the cavity  32 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , the sacrificial suspension device  420  may be similar to the sacrificial suspension device  20  shown in  FIG. 3 , except that a V-shaped notch  60  may be defined by the first side  40 . The V-shaped notch  60  may extend from the first side  40 , between the second side  42  and the third side  44 , and terminate at an indexing point  62 . The sacrificial suspension device  420  may be attached to the insert  14  such that the indexing point  62  contacts the respective end  30  of the insert  14 . This ensures that the first side  40  is spaced more precisely from the respective end  30 . 
     The sacrificial suspension device  520  of  FIG. 8  may be generally C-shaped. The sacrificial suspension device  20  terminates at a pair of contact points  50  that are biased toward one another. It should be appreciated that sacrificial suspension devices  520  having other shapes and configurations may also be used such that the insert  14  is spaced from the mold  52 . 
     The detailed description and the drawings or figures are supportive and descriptive of the invention, but the scope of the invention is defined solely by the claims. While some of the best modes and other embodiments for carrying out the claimed invention have been described in detail, various alternative designs and embodiments exist for practicing the invention defined in the appended claims.