System for adhesively mounting panel liners

In a panel liner for application upon an automotive body panel and formed of liner sheet of a size to cover a pre-determined size and shape support panel surface and having an inner face for application against, and adhesive fastening to, the panel surface and an outer, exposed face;

• with a permanently tacky, thick, pressure sensitive adhesive strip located upon and adhered to the sheet inner face and the strip having an exposed face for application against the adjacent support panel surface, the improvement comprising:
• at least one groove formed substantially about the periphery in the sheet and opening at the sheet inner face, with the depth of the groove being greater than the thickness of the sheet and with said adhesive strip arranged within the groove
• a fabric cover arranged over the adhesive strip exposed face, with said fabric being formed of a wide mesh screen material having widely spaced warp and woof threads that are rested upon said strip exposed face for normally separating said exposed face from the outer face of an adjacent liner sheet applied against the sheet inner face without substantial pressure, that is, pressure sufficient to plastically flow the adhesive;
• said adhesive being plastically flowable around the threads for extending through the spaces between the threads of the mesh upon application of pre-determined pressure applied against the sheet portions which overlay the adhesive strip and directed towards the panel surface for adhering the adhesive to the panel surface
• and the sheet material defining the groove being flexible under said pressure for moving portions of the adhesive strip exposed face around the threads of the mesh fabric and through the mesh spaces into adhering contact with the adjacent panel surface for securing the sheet to the panel surface.