Composite body panel and vehicle incorporating same
AssigneeAlcoa Inc.
InventorsRobert Delbeke, Roy A. Hambric, Robert F. Mallon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention is a composite body panel, a sheet product from which the composite body panel is formed, and a vehicle incorporating at least one such composite body panel thereon. The composite body panel includes a substrate having an inner and an outer surface. A lamination is applied to at least the inner and, in an alternative embodiment, the outer surfaces of the substrate. The lamination includes a material having a uniform surface which is well suited for formation, but which is not as strong as the substrate. The formation of the composite body panel further includes the step of applying a coating to the lamination, and then, forming the substrate/lamination/coating material into the desired shape.
Claims18
A composite body panel comprising:
- a substrate comprising an aluminum alloy sheet product in which the alloy is selected from the 5XXX series alloys and having an inner and an outer surface;
- a lamination applied to at least one of the inner and outer surfaces of the substrate, the lamination comprising a material having an improved surface finish as compared to the substrate, but having a strength lower than the substrate.
A aluminum alloy composite sheet product comprising:
- a substrate comprising an aluminum alloy sheet product in which the alloy is selected from the 5XXX series alloys and having an inner and an outer surface;
- a lamination applied to at least one of the inner and outer surfaces of the substrate, the lamination comprising a material having an improved surface finish as compared to the substrate, but having a strength lower than the substrate.
A method for producing a composite body panel comprising the steps of:
- laminating at least one of an inner and outer surface of a substrate comprising an aluminum alloy sheet product from the 5XXX series alloys with a lamination, the lamination comprising a metal material having an improved surface finish as compared to the substrate, but having a strength lower than the substrate;
- applying a coating to at least a portion of the lamination;
- and
- forming the substrate having the lamination and the coating into the desired shape.
In a vehicle having body panels, at least one of said body panels comprising:
- a substrate comprising an aluminum alloy sheet product from the 5XXX series alloys and having an inner and an outer surface;
- a lamination applied to at least one of the inner and outer surfaces of the substrate, the lamination comprising a material having an improved surface finish as compared to the substrate, but having a strength lower than the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.