Method and apparatus for attaching cosmetic body panels to a composite truck cargo box
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsElisabeth J. Berger, Jessica A. Schroeder
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for attaching a cosmetic body panel to a composite cargo box without inclusion of a conventional integral lip. The cargo box sidewalls are formed without integral lips. A metallic lip member is bonded to the peripheral top rail at the top of the sidewalls, wherein the lip member is configured so as to mimic the surface contour (geometry) of a conventional integral lip, including the slot, notches and wedge shape thereof for like attaching of a cosmetic body panel thereto.
Claims17
A method for providing lips on a composite cargo box comprising the steps of:
- forming a composite cargo box having a pair of opposing sidewalls;
- fabricating at least one lip member respectively for each sidewall;
- and
- adhesively bonding to each sidewall its respective at least one lip member.
A method for attaching a cosmetic body panel to a composite cargo box comprising the steps of:
- forming a composite cargo box having a pair of opposing sidewalls;
- forming a pair of cosmetic body panels, each cosmetic body panel having serially arranged tabs and tongues connected thereto;
- fabricating at least one lip member respectively for each sidewall, wherein the respective at least one lip member at each side wall provides a slot and a plurality of notches thereat;
- adhesively bonding to each sidewall its respective at least one lip member and
- interference fitting the tabs and tongues of a respective cosmetic body panel with respect to the slot and notches of the at least one lip member of a respective sidewall to thereby attach the cosmetic body panel to the sidewall.
A cargo box comprising:
- a pair of mutually opposed sidewalls and a peripheral top rail connected with said sidewalls, said peripheral top rail comprising a vertical top rail portion and a horizontal top rail portion;
- and
- at least one lip member adhesively attached to the vertical top rail portion of each sidewall, respectively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.