# US 2014/0193603 A1 · Metal panel assembly and method for making same

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- Number: US 2014/0193603 A1
- Document ID: US20140193603A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/122,289
- Filed: 2012-04-17
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2011-05-31
- Assignees: 3M Innovative Properties Company
- Applicants: 3M Innovative Properties Company
- Inventors: Sohaib Elgimiabi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193603A1

## CPC

- B21D 39/021: {for panels, e.g. vehicle doors}
- B21D 39/028: {Reinforcing the connection otherwise than by deforming, e.g. welding}
- B60J 5/0469: {for door panels, e.g. hemming (hemming equipment B21D39/00)}
- B62D 27/02: rigid
- B62D 27/026: {Connections by glue bonding (in general F16B11/00; processes C09J5/00)}
- C09J 5/06: involving heating of the applied adhesive
- C09J 163/00: Adhesives based on epoxy resins; Adhesives based on derivatives of epoxy resins
- C09J 2400/163: in the substrate
- C09J 2463/00: Presence of epoxy resin
- F16B 11/006: {by gluing (gluing of plastics material B29C65/48)}
- Y10T 29/49906: Metal deforming with nonmetallic bonding
- Y10T 428/192: Sheets or webs coplanar
- B21D: WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL (working or processing of wire B21F)
- B60J: WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES (fastening, suspending, closing, or opening of such devices E05)
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- C09J: ADHESIVES; NON-MECHANICAL ASPECTS OF ADHESIVE PROCESSES IN GENERAL; ADHESIVE PROCESSES NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE; USE OF MATERIALS AS ADHESIVES (preparation of glue or gelatine C09H)
- F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a method of making a metal part assembly, the method comprising: —providing a first metal part and a second metal part wherein at least one of the first and second metal part comprises a metal panel; —providing an adhesive sheet having a first portion near a first end of the adhesive sheet and a second portion near a second end opposite to the first end of the adhesive sheet, the adhesive sheet comprising a thermosettable composition that comprises a mixture of a first and second epoxy compound and an epoxy curing agent, wherein the first epoxy compound has a weight average molecular weight of at least 1000 g/mol and has an amount of epoxy groups of between 5 and 10 mole % and the second epoxy compound has a weight average molecular weight of not more than 400 g/mol and wherein the weight ratio of first to second epoxy compound is between 0.8 and 4; —adhering said first and second metal part together such that the adhesive sheet is provided between said first and second metal part thereby forming a metal joint; and heating the metal joint so as to cause thermosetting of the thermosettable composition of the adhesive sheet.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of making a metal part assembly, the method comprising:
providing a first metal part and a second metal part wherein at least one of the first and second metal part comprises a metal panel;
providing an adhesive sheet having a first portion near a first end of the adhesive sheet and a second portion near a second end opposite to the first end of the adhesive sheet, the adhesive sheet comprising a thermosettable composition that comprises a mixture of a first and second epoxy compound and an epoxy curing agent, wherein the first epoxy compound has a weight average molecular weight of at least 1000 g/mol and has an amount of epoxy groups of between 5 and 10 mole % and the second epoxy compound has a weight average molecular weight of not more than 400 g/mol and wherein the weight ratio of first to second epoxy compound is between 0.8 and 4, and 1, wherein
the first metal part comprises a first metal panel having a first body portion and a first flange along a margin of the first body portion adjacent a first end of the first body portion;
the second metal part comprises a second metal panel having a second body portion and a second flange along a margin of the second body portion adjacent a second end of the second body portion; and wherein
the adhesive sheet is adhered to said first or second metal panel;
the first flange of the first panel is folded over said second flange of said second panel;
whereby following adhering and folding a metal joint is obtained wherein the adhesive sheet is folded such that the first portion of the adhesive sheet is between the second flange of said second panel and said first body portion of said first panel and the second portion of the adhesive sheet is between said first flange of said first panel and said second flange of said second panel;
heating the metal joint so as to cause thermosetting of the thermosettable composition of the adhesive sheet.

### Claim at position 2

2-3. (canceled)

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein said adhesive sheet is adhered to said second metal panel with the adhesive sheet being adhered to the second flange of the second metal panel and folded around the second end of the second metal panel such that the adhesive sheet is adhered to opposite sides of the second flange of the second metal panel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein the thermosettable composition further comprises a hydrophobizing agent.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein the weight average molecular weight of the first epoxy compound is between 1000 and 3000 g/mol.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein the thermosettable composition further comprises a blowing agent.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A method according to claim 7 wherein the blowing agent is encapsulated.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein the thermosettable composition further comprises a toughening agent.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein the adhesive sheet comprises a netting.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein between forming the metal joint and heating of the metal joint, the metal joint is painted.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein the heating of the metal joint is carried out in one or more steps at a temperature between 60 and 200° C.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A metal part assembly comprising:
a first metal part and a second metal part wherein at least one of the first and second metal part comprises a metal panel and
an adhesive sheet having a first portion near a first end of the adhesive sheet and a second portion near a second end opposite to the first end of the adhesive sheet,
whereby the adhesive sheet is between said first and second metal part and adheres the first and second metal part together, and wherein the adhesive sheet comprises the thermoset reaction product of a thermosettable composition as defined in claim 1, wherein
the first metal part comprises a first metal panel having a first body portion and a first flange along a margin of the first body portion adjacent a first end of the first body portion;
the second metal part comprises a second metal panel having a second body portion and a second flange along a margin of the second body portion adjacent a second end of the second body portion; and wherein
said second flange of said second panel extends over said first body of said first panel with the second end of said second panel adjacent to said first flange of said first panel;
said first flange of said first panel is folded over said second flange of said second panel;
the first portion of the adhesive sheet is between and adhering said second flange of said second panel and said first body portion of said first panel;
the second portion of the adhesive sheet is folded over said second flange of said second panel and adheres said first flange of said first panel to said second flange of said second panel.

### Claim at position 13

14-15. (canceled)