1. A method comprising:
providing a contiguous tubular member comprising at least a first tube portion comprising one of a first material or a second material, so that the first tube portion does not include a weld joint along the circumference thereof and has a wall thickness that varies along the length of the tube portion wherein the tubular member comprises the first material and the second material and wherein the first material is galvanically isolated by the second material;
bending the tubular member; and
hydroforming the tubular member into a part.
2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of the first material or the second material comprises at least one of aluminum, magnesium, steel, titanium, or alloys thereof.
3. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein providing the tubular member comprises providing the first tube portion comprising at least one of tube spinning or extrusion with a movable mandrel.
4. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein providing the tubular member comprises providing a sheet having a thickness that varies, roll forming the sheet into a tube-like structure, and seam welding the tube-like structure to form the first tube portion, wherein seam welding comprises at least one of induction welding, friction stir welding, or laser welding.
5. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein bending the tubular member comprises using a computer-numerical-control (CNC) bender.
6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of an outer diameter or an inner diameter of the tubular member varies along the length of the tubular member.
7. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the part comprises one of a frame rail, bumper beam, or engine cradle.
8. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the wall thickness of the tubular member ranges from about 1 mm to about 10 mm and wherein the minimum internal diameter of the tubular member ranges from about 4 mm to about 300 mm.
9. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising forming a crush initiator in the tubular member prior to bending the tubular member, wherein the crush initiator comprises a region wherein the wall of the tubular member is thinner than the walls of adjacent regions.
10. A method comprising:
providing a tubular member comprising providing at least a first tube portion having a wall thickness that varies along the length of the tube portion and which does not include a weld joint along the circumference thereof and a second tube portion which has a wall thickness that varies along the length of the tube portion and which does not include a weld joint along the circumference thereof, wherein the portions of tubing comprise at least one of a first material or a second material, so that the tubular member has a wall thickness that varies along the length of the tubular member wherein the tubular member comprises the first material and the second material and wherein the first material is galvanically isolated by the second material;
abutting the first tube portion against the second tube portion;
friction spin welding the at least first and second tube portions at the abutment;
bending the tubular member; and
hydroforming the tubular member into a part.
11. A method as set forth in claim 10 further comprising connecting the second portion of tubing to a component comprising steel.
12. A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the tubular member comprises the first material and the second material, and further comprising connecting the tubular member to another component comprising a third material and so that the second material galvanically isolates the first material from the third material.
13. A product comprising:
a first vehicle component comprising at least a first tube portion which has a wall thickness that varies along the length of the tube portion and which does not include a weld joint along the circumference thereof and a second tube portion which has a wall thickness that varies along the length of the tube portion and which does not include a weld joint along the circumference thereof, wherein the portions of tubing comprise at least one of a first material or a second material, and wherein the component has a wall thickness that varies along the length of the component, and wherein the first vehicle component comprises the first material and the second material and wherein the first material is galvanically isolated by the second material.
14. A product as set forth in claim 13 wherein the first tube portion comprises the first material comprising magnesium, and the second tube portion comprises the second material comprising aluminum.
15. A product as set forth in claim 13 further comprising a second vehicle component comprising steel and wherein the second tube portion is connected to the second vehicle component.
16. A product as set forth in claim 13 wherein the wall thicknesses of the first and second tube portions range from about 1 mm to about 10 mm and wherein the minimum internal diameters of the first and second tube portions range from about 4 mm to about 300 mm.
17. A product as set forth in claim 13 wherein at least one of an outer diameter or an inner diameter of the first and second tube portions varies along the length of the first vehicle component.
18. A product as set forth in claim 13 wherein the first vehicle component comprises a crush initiator comprising a region of the first vehicle component wherein the wall is thinner than the walls of the adjacent regions.
19. A product as set forth in claim 18 wherein the thickness of the wall of the crush initiator is about 90% to about 98% of the thickness of the walls of the adjacent regions.
20. A method comprising:
providing a solid contiguous tubular member comprising at least one of a first material and a second material different from the first material, so that the tubular member does not include a weld joint along the length of the tubular member and has a wall thickness that varies along the length of the tubular member wherein the tubular member comprises the first material and the second material and wherein the first material is galvanically isolated by the second material;
bending the tubular member; and
hydroforming the tubular member into a part.
21. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the first material comprises stainless steel and the second material comprises aluminum.
22. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the first material comprises steel and the second material comprises magnesium.
23. A method as set forth in claim 22 wherein the magnesium is galvanically isolated from the steel.
24. A method as set forth in claim 22 further comprising a third material comprising aluminum interposed between the steel and magnesium.
25. A method comprising:
providing a plurality of solid tubular members having walls of different thicknesses, each tubular member having a first end and an opposite second end, wherein each solid tubular member does not include a weld joint along the length of the solid tubular wherein the tubular members comprise a first material and the second material wherein the first material is galvanically isolated by the second material;
welding one end of one solid tubular member to another end of another solid tubular along the circumference of the walls;
bending the tubular member; and
hydroforming the tubular member into a part.
26. A method as set forth in claim 25 wherein the one solid tubular member comprises aluminum and the another solid tubular member comprises steel.
27. A method as set forth in claim 25 wherein the one solid tubular member comprises aluminum and the another solid tubular member comprises magnesium.
28. A method as set forth in claim 25 wherein the one solid tubular member comprises aluminum and the another solid tubular member comprises steel, and a third solid tubular member comprise magnesium positioned between the steel and aluminum.
29. A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the first tube portion and second tube portion have different outer diameters.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A calculator having a timer function, comprising:
a housing;
a display disposed on the housing;
a plurality of function keys disposed on the housing;
a plurality of numeral keys disposed on the housing;
a first processing section disposed in the housing for performing calculation functions;
a second processing section disposed in the housing for performing timer programming and time keeping functions; and
a switching section coupled to the first and second processing sections and coupled to at least the numeral keys, the switching section having a first switching state in which it forwards signals from the numeral keys to the first processing section and a second switching state in which it forwards signals from the numeral keys to the second processing section;
wherein the first processing section receives signals from the numeral keys via the switching section, receives signals from at least some of the function keys, generates calculation results based on the received signals, and displays calculation results on the display; and
wherein the second processing section receives signals from the numeral keys via the switching section, receives signals from at least some of the function keys, sets a time interval for each event based on the received signals, keeps track of a total elapsed or remaining time, a current event number, and an elapsed or remaining time of a current event based on a clock signal and the time interval value, and displays them on the display.
2. The calculator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of function keys includes a plurality of calculator function keys directly coupled to the first processing section, and a plurality of timer function keys directly coupled to the second processing section.
3. The calculator of claim 2, wherein one or more of the plurality of timer function keys are coupled to the switching section for changing its switching state.
4. The calculator of claim 2, wherein one or more of the plurality of calculator function keys are coupled to the switching section for changing its switching state.
5. The calculator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of function keys includes a plurality of dual function keys coupled to the switching section, and wherein the switching section forwards signals from the dual function keys to the first processing section or to the second processing section when the switching section is in the first or second switching state, respectively.
6. The calculator of claim 1, further comprising a switch key coupled to the switching section for changing its switching state.
7. The calculator of claim 1, wherein the switching section is a switching circuit.
8. The calculator of claim 1, wherein the display includes a first display window coupled to the first processing section for displaying the calculation result generated by the first processing section, and a second display window coupled to the second processing section for displaying the total elapsed or remaining time, the current event number, and the elapsed or remaining time of a current event.
9. The calculator of claim 1, wherein the second processing section receives, from the function keys and the numeral keys, a value representing a total time period and a value representing a number of events being repeated, and calculates the time interval value for each event by dividing the total time period by the number of events.
10. The calculator of claim 1, wherein the total elapsed or remaining time and the elapsed or remaining time of the current event are incremented or decremented based on the clock signal, and each time the time interval passes, the current event number is incremented by one and the elapsed or remaining time of the current event is reset.
11. A method implemented in a calculator having a timer function, comprising:
setting a switching state of a switching section to a first switching state or a second switching state;
the switching section receiving a signal from a numeral key, and forwarding the signal to a first processing section when the switching section is in the first switching state and forwarding the signal to a second processing section when the switching section is in the second switching state;
the first processing section receiving the signal from the switching section and receiving first additional signals from one or more function keys, generating a calculation result based on the received signals, and displaying the calculation result on a display; and
the second processing section receiving the signal from the switching section and receiving second additional signals from one or more function keys, setting a time interval for each event based on the received signals, keeping track of a total elapsed or remaining time, a current event number, and an elapsed or remaining time of a current event based on a clock signal and the time interval value, and displaying them on the display.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first additional signals are received directly from one or more calculator function keys, the second additional signals are received directly from one or more timer function keys, wherein the calculator function keys and timer function keys are different keys.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the switching state of the switching section is set based on signals received from one or more of the timer function keys.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the switching state of the switching section is set based on signals received from one or more of the calculator function keys.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
the switching section receiving a signal from a dual function key and forwarding the signal to the first processing section when the switching section is in the first switching state and forwarding the signal to the second processing section when the switching section is in the second switching state.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the switching state of the switching section is set based on a signal received from a switch key.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the signals received by the second processing section represent a value representing a total time period and a value representing a number of events being repeated, and wherein the second processing section calculates the time interval value for each event by dividing the total time period by the number of events.
18. The method of claim 11, wherein the total elapsed or remaining time and the elapsed or remaining time of the current event are incremented or decremented based on the clock signal, and each time the time interval passes, the current event number is incremented by one and the elapsed or remaining time of the current event is reset.