GB2378923A

GB2378923A - Method of fixing a vehicle body panel to a vehicle chassis

Info

Publication number: GB2378923A
Application number: GB0120315A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony George Shute
Original assignee: Lotus Cars Ltd
Current assignee: Lotus Cars Ltd
Priority date: 2001-08-21
Filing date: 2001-08-21
Publication date: 2003-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 2021-08-21
Also published as: GB0120315D0; GB2378923B

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of fixing a vehicle body panel to a vehicle chassis. A thin flexible vacuum formed body panel 10 is fixed by adhesive 14 at its lower edge 11 in a slot 12 of an edging strip 13 which is formed as an extrusion. The edging strip 13 is fitted onto a extruded aluminum alloy chassis rail 15 which runs along the side of a vehicle. The chassis rail 15 has a flange 16 which extends to fit a slot 17 in the edging strip 13; a lower curved edge 18 of the edging strip 13 locates in a slot 19 of the chassis rail 15. A latch 20 is pivotally mounted to the chassis rail 15 and a hook 21 is fitted to the latch 20; when the edging strip 13 is slid into position the hook 21 is engaged with the hooked edge 22 of the edging strip 13 securing the body panel to the chassis. The method provides a simple way for body panels to be fitted and removed from a vehicle. Also disclosed is a vehicle with a body panel fixed by this method.

Description

A METHOD OF FIXING A VEHICLE BODY PANEL TO A VEHICLE CHASSIS AND A VEHICLE WITH A BODY PANEL FIXED BY THE METHOD The present invention relates to a novel way of fixing a vehicle body panel to a vehicle chassis and to a vehicle with a body panel fixed by the method.

For all and especially for racing vehicles it is desirable to use lightweight body panels which are easily removable and replaceable.

The present invention provides in a first aspect a method of fixing a vehicle body panel to a vehicle chassis comprising the steps of: securing an edge of the vehicle body panel in a first slot in an edging strip; and clamping the edging strip and the attached body panel to a rail of the vehicle chassis to fix the vehicle body panel in position.

The present invention provides in a second aspect a vehicle comprising: a body panel having an edge thereof adhered in a slot in an extruded edging strip; an extruded chassis rail which runs lengthwise along the vehicle along one side thereof; and releasable clamping means provided on the extruded chassis rail; wherein: the clamping means can be operated to engage the edging strip and to directly clamp the edging strip on to the chassis rail and thereby indirectly clamp the body panel in position; and

the clamping means can be operated to release a previously clamped edging strip to allow removal and replacement of the clamped body panel.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figure, which is a schematic crosssection through a joint between a vehicle body panel and a vehicle chassis, the body panel having been fixed in place by a method according to the present invention.

In the figure there can be seen a thin flexible body panel 10 formed from polycarbonate with a thickness in the range 0.5 to 4 mm. The body panel would typically be formed from a sheet by a vacuumforming method as described in the International patent specification PCT/GBOl/02448. Cutting the sheet to size before vacuum-forming tends to leave an imperfect edge, this edge being the lower edge 11 shown in the figure. It is a problem to disguise this edge in the finished vehicle.

In the method of the present invention, the imperfect lower edge 11 of the body panel 10 is fixed in place by an adhesive 14 in a slot 12 of an edging strip 13 which is formed as an extrusion of aluminium alloy.

Once the edging strip 13 is fixed on the body panel 10 then the edging strip 13 is fitted onto a chassis rail 15 which runs along the side of the vehicle. The chassis rail 15 is itself an extrusion of an aluminium alloy. The shape and configuration of the chassis rail 15 and the shape and configuration of

the edging strip 13 are chosen to match so that the chassis rail 15 has a flange 16 extending transversely of the vehicle which matches a slot 17 in the edging strip 13 which runs along the inner surface of the edging strip. The edging strip 13 is pushed into position by sliding the edging strip 13 (with the body panel 10 attached) transversely of the vehicle and inwardly, so that the flange 16 of the chassis rail 15 locates itself in the slot 17. At the same time a curved lower edge 18 of the edging strip 13 locates itself in an outwardly facing slot 19 of the chassis rail 15.

On the chassis rail 15 there is pivotally mounted a latch 20. The latch 20 has pivotally connected thereto a hook 21. In the method of the present invention the edging strip 13 is slid into position on the chassis rail 15 using the arrangement of hook 21 and latch 20. The extrusion 13 has a hooked innermost edge 22. The end of the hook 21 is engaged with the hooked edge 22 whilst the latch 20 is pivoted away from the horizontal position which is shown in the figure. The latch 20 is then pivoted into the horizontal position shown in the figure. This pivoting pulls the edging strip 13 inwardly as shown by the arrow 23. The pivot point of the latch 20 is chosen so that when the latch 20 is pivoted into its horizontal position it passes over centre and thereafter the tension in the hook 21 serves to keep the latch 20 in the horizontal position. It will be appreciated that the hook 21 is a flexible element, typically of metal.

When it is desired to replace the body panel 10 then the latch 20 is pivoted upwardly away from the

horizontal position in order to release the hook 21 from the hooked edge 22 of the edging strip 13. Then the body panel 10 can be easily removed and replaced by another combination of body panel and edging strip.

The method of attachment provided by the present invention enables a very simple way for body panels to be removed and replaced in e. g. racing vehicles.

Furthermore, the solution provided by the invention simultaneously deals with the difficulties provided by uneven edges of lightweight body panels by covering such edges with edging strips so that the combination of panel and edging strip in the assembled vehicle is aesthetically pleasing.

Above the invention has been described with reference to the fixing of a panel of a plastics material to a metal chassis and the method has particular advantages for such an application since a cut edge of a plastic panel tends to be quite rough.

However, the method could equally well be used with body panels of all materials.

Superforme aluminium body panels tend to have uneven edges and much of the cost of forming the panels is incurred in dealing with this problem, a problem which is avoided when using the present method.

The method could also have a beneficial effect even in the fixing of steel panels tp e. g. an aluminium chassis. In such circumstances a potential difference can be established across the junction between the two materials leading to corrosion of the steel. The present invention can improve the situation by using an adhesive to join the panel to the edging strip which has electrical insulation properties.

The use of an edging strip provides protection for the panel edge and also sealing. It has been proposed to form body panels from 3 ply laminate materials in which two waterproof exterior plies sandwich an permeable inner ply which provides the required mechanical properties. Typically a sealant must be coated on the edges of the panel since along the edges the inner ply is exposed and water may seep in. Using the method of the current invention the inner ply is sealed by the adhesive securing the panel in the edging strip and therefore the problem is avoided.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A method of fixing a vehicle body panel to a vehicle chassis comprising the steps of: securing an edge of the vehicle body panel in a first slot in an edging strip; and clamping the edging strip and the attached body panel to a rail of the vehicle chassis to fix the vehicle body panel in position.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising additionally the step of: using an adhesive to secure the edge of the vehicle body panel in the first slot of the edging strip.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 comprising additionally the steps of: forming the edging strip by extrusion with a second slot designed to match a flange of the rail of the vehicle chassis; and engaging the flange of the rail of the vehicle in the second slot of the edging strip so that interaction therebetween helps to secure the clamped body panel in position.
4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising additionally the steps of: forming the edging strip by extrusion with a flange designed to match a slot in the rail of the vehicle chassis; and engaging the flange of the edging strip in the slot of the rail of the vehicle chassis so that interaction therebetween helps to secure the clamped body panel in position.

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5. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising the step of: clamping the edging strip using a clamp which has a latch pivotally mounted on the rail of the vehicle chassis; and pivoting the latch of the clamp in order to slide the edging strip relative to the rail of the vehicle chassis so as to bring the edging strip to a clamped position.
6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the clamp is manually operated.
7. A method as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6 comprising additionally the steps of releasing the clamp and disengaging the edging strip from the rail of the vehicle chassis to allow removal and replacement of the body panel.
8. A vehicle having a vehicle body panel releasably fixed in place by a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.
9. A vehicle comprising: a body panel having an edge thereof adhered in a slot in an extruded edging strip; an extruded chassis rail which runs lengthwise along the vehicle along one side thereof; and releasable clamping means provided on the extruded chassis rail; wherein: the clamping means can be operated to engage the edging strip and to directly clamp the edging strip on to the chassis rail and thereby indirectly clamp the body panel in position; and the clamping means can be operated to release a

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previously clamped edging strip to allow removal and replacement of the clamped body panel.
10. A vehicle as claimed in claim 9 wherein: one of the edging strip and the chassis rail has a flange which is engaged in a slot provided in the other when the body panel is clamped in position.
11. A vehicle as claimed in claim 10 wherein: the edging strip has an inner hooked edge; the clamping means comprises a latch pivotally mounted on the chassis rail and a hook pivotally connected to the latch; and during clamping the hook of the clamping means is engaged with the hooked edge of the edging strip and the latch is then pivoted to clamp the edging strip in position.
12. A vehicle as claimed in claim 10 wherein: the latch is pivotally connected to the chassis rail and to the hook in such a way that when the latch is in the clamped position thereof tension in the hook acts to maintain the latch in the clamped position.
13. A method of fixing a vehicle body panel to a vehicle body substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.
14. A vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.

: 3077.0 : AWP: CTF : LONDOCS