Abstract:
A method of fabricating composite vehicle panels includes the steps of forming a first, upper panel (30) having a depending peripheral lip (34), forming a second, lower panel (40) of laid up woven mat or strips of a fibrous material such as fiberglass or carbon fibers and a plastic resin to form a corrugated panel (52) having a depending peripheral lip (46), placing an adhesive (48) on the raised portions of the corrugations (42) and the peripheral lip (46) of the second panel (40) and securing the panels (30, 40) together at the corrugations (42) and about their peripheral lips (34, 46).
Abstract:
A method of fabricating composite vehicle panels includes the steps of forming a first, lower panel with a plurality of raised features having coplanar end portions, forming a second, upper panel having a depending peripheral lip adapted to engage a periphery of the first panel, placing an adhesive on the end portions of the raised features of the first panel and securing said panels together at the raised features and about the peripheral lip.
Abstract:
Tonneau cover for mounting to a pickup truck having a cargo bed has a top panel and a bottom panel, wherein the bottom panel includes opposing arrays of upwardly extending projections having flat coplanar upper surfaces with the arrays divided by a beam feature that extends in a front to rear direction of the cover. The beam feature itself may include a series of upwardly extending projections having flat coplanar upper surfaces, which, advantageously, are elongate along the front to rear direction.
Abstract:
A panel structure (10) includes a rigid foam center core (30) sandwiched between two outer skin fiber layers (20,24). The core is preferably polyurethane, polypropylene, polystyrene and mixtures, as well as polyphenylne oxide and blends. The fiber layers (20,24) may be bi-directional fabric, a unidirectional material or a random weave mat which is impregnated with an epoxy or resin binder. The fibers themselves may fiberglass, polypropylene, Kevlar or carbon. The rigid foam core is thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), high density polyethylene (HDPE) or acrylonitrile butadieme styrene which are molded into the skin layers (20,24) with peripheral lips (22,26). The lips (22,26) are compressed together and form a peripheral bead or seal (28).
Abstract:
A running board for a passenger car or light truck is assembled from an upper molded thermoplastic section or component having a Class A automotive finish and a lower component or section having reinforcing ribs and mounting brackets. The upper section includes three layers: a paint film having a Class A automotive finish, a thin layer of thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) and a thick layer of polypropylene. The lower section is homogeneous and may be a plastic such as TPO, polypropylene or high-density polyethylene (HDPE), for example, which may contain chopped, randomly oriented glass reinforcing fibers. The two sections are secured to one another about their peripheries by autogenous bonding.
Abstract:
Composite doors are described which include a frame defining at least two openings and at least two composite panels situated within the openings in the frame. Preferred uses for such composite doors are as plug doors for use on railcars.
Abstract:
Described herein is a process for manufacturing a part or a part pre-form, for example, a vehicle part or vehicle part pre-form, as well as articles of manufacture incorporating pre-stretched paint films and substrates such as extruded sheet. Also described herein is an apparatus useful for the process described, which process includes providing a paint film having a length as measured along a longitudinal axis of the paint film; continuously stretching the paint film in the transverse and/or longitudinal directions of the film over the length of the paint film to form a pre-stretched paint film; and applying the pre-stretched paint film to a thermoformable substrate to form a part or part pre-form.
Abstract:
A panel structure (10) includes a rigid foam center core (30) sandwiched between two outer skin fiber layers (20,24). The core is preferably polyurethane, polypropylene, polystyrene and mixtures, as well as polyphenylne oxide and blends. The fiber layers (20,24) may be bi-directional fabric, a unidirectional material or a random weave mat which is impregnated with an epoxy or resin binder. The fibers themselves may fiberglass, polypropylene, Kevlar or carbon. The rigid foam core is thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), high density polyethylene (HDPE) or acrylonitrile butadieme styrene which are molded into the skin layers (20,24) with peripheral lips (22,26). The lips (22,26) are compressed together and form a peripheral bead or seal (28).