US 5,403,062 AGranted

Panel joint for adhesively bonded wall panels

AssigneeStoughton Composites, Inc.

InventorsRobbie J. Sjostedt, Brent G. Schaffer, James Tedesco

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Abstract

A vehicle body including top, bottom and opposite side walls each including a plurality of modular panel members adjoining one another in series relation. Each panel member is an integral pultrusion and includes a pair of spaced apart sheet members, a pair of spaced apart webs interconnecting the sheet members, and wedge-shaped male and female members that interfit with the male and female members of adjoing panel members. Adhesive material is provided at the joints between panel members to bond the panel members together. To prepare suitable bonding surfaces for the adhesive, fabric material can be pultruded as an integral part of the male and female members and peeled off prior to application of the adhesive to reveal clean, gritty textured surfaces.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A vehicle body comprising

a top wall,
a bottom wall,
opposite side walls extending between said top and bottom walls,
each of said walls including a plurality of modular panel members adjoining one another in series relation to form joints therebetween, each of said panel members including a pair of spaced apart sheet members, a pair of spaced apart webs integrally interconnecting said sheet members, and integral means for interfitting with adjoining ones of said panel members, said means for interfitting including a lengthwise extending female member including one of said webs and a pair of opposite tapered surfaces converging inwardly to said one web to define a wedge-shaped channel, and a complementary lengthwise extending wedge-shaped male member including the other of said webs and a pair of opposite tapered surfaces converging inwardly to said other web, said male member of each of said panel members being insertable into said channel of a corresponding one of said female members of an adjoining one of said panel members to form one of said joints, and
means for bonding together adjoining ones of said panel members, said means for bonding including an adhesive material in each of said joints,
wherein fit-up of a pair of said panel members having a corresponding pair of said male and female members is accomplished by applying said adhesive material to at least one of said opposite tapered surfaces on one of said male and female members in said corresponding pair and inserting said male member of said corresponding pair into said female member of said corresponding pair so that said tapered surfaces of said corresponding pair of male and female members cooperate to spread said adhesive material into a uniform layer therebetween and to minimize adhesive wipe-off.

3 more elements

A wall assembly comprising

first and second panel pultrusions, said first and second panel pultrusions each including a longitudinal pultrusion axis, said axes being parallel to one another, and each of said panel pultrusions including laterally spaced apart sides,
means for forming a joint between said first and second panel pultrusions, said means for forming a joint including an integral wedge-shaped male member formed on said first panel pultrusion, said male member extending parallel to said pultrusion axes, and said male member including a pair of outwardly facing tapered surfaces converging inwardly toward one of said sides of said first panel pultrusion, and a complementary integral female member on said second panel pultrusion, said female member including opposing inwardly facing tapered surfaces converging inwardly to one of said sides of said second panel pultrusion to define a tapered channel extending parallel to said pultrusion axes, said male member being insertable into said channel of said female member, and
an adhesive material, said adhesive material being located between one of said tapered surfaces of said female member and one of said tapered surfaces of said male member, and between the other of said tapered surfaces of said female member and the other of said tapered surfaces of said male member to form a double seal at said joint, wherein said tapered surfaces of said male and female members cooperate to spread said adhesive material into a pair of uniform layers between said male and female members when said male member is inserted into said female member.

A vehicle body comprising

a plurality of wall assemblies interconnected to define an interior space, each of said wall assemblies including
a plurality of modular panel pultrusions adjoining one another in series relation to form joints therebetween, each of said panel pultrusions being made of a composite material, and each of said panel pultrusions including a pair of spaced apart sheet members, a pair of spaced apart webs integrally interconnecting said sheet members, and integral means for interfitting with adjoining ones of said panel pultrusions, said means for interfitting including an integral lengthwise extending female member including one of said webs, and a pair of opposite tapered surfaces converging inwardly to said one web, and a complementary integral lengthwise extending wedge-shaped male member including the other of said webs, and a pair of opposite tapered surfaces converging inwardly to said other web, said male member of each of said panel pultrusions being insertable into a corresponding one of said female members of an adjoining one of said panel pultrusions to form one of said joints, and
means for bonding together adjoining ones of said panel pultrusions, said means for bonding including an adhesive material in each of said joints.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.