Composite panel having a securing track incorporated therein and associated apparatuses and methods

A method of forming a cargo-securing panel adapted to form a body of a cargo-carrying vehicle, said method comprising:

• engaging an angular member with a corresponding angular groove in a composite in order to secure the member thereto, the composite having a honeycomb-configured core with opposed faces and a facing sheet engaged with one of the faces, the angular groove having a portion extending between the faces and a portion extending through the one face, the facing sheet defining a gap extending therethrough in correspondence with the portion of the groove extending through the one face, the member having a flange corresponding to the groove and being configured to be slidably engaged therewith, the member further including an external portion capable of extending across the gap, outside the core and parallel to the one face, with the external portion defining an aperture;
• and
• forming a recess in the core through the aperture, the recess being adapted to receive a clip end of a cargo strap therein through the aperture so as to allow the clip end to cooperate with the angular member to secure the cargo strap to the composite.

A cargo-securing panel adapted to form a body of a cargo-carrying vehicle, said panel comprising:

• an elongate channel member having a first surface and a second surface defining at least one aperture;
• a honeycomb-configured core having opposed faces, the core defining a groove extending through one of the faces;
• a facing sheet conformally engaged with the one face so as to contiguously extend across the face and through the groove and to form a composite with the core, the groove being configured to be capable of securedly receiving the channel member therein such that the second surface of the channel member extends across the groove and is substantially flush with the facing sheet.

A method of forming a cargo-securing panel adapted to form a body of a cargo-carrying vehicle, said method comprising:

• forming a groove in a composite, the composite including a honeycomb-configured core having opposed faces and a facing sheet engaged with one of the faces, whereby the core defines the groove, the groove extends through the one face, and the facing sheet is conformally engaged with the one face so as to contiguously extend across the face and through the groove;
• and
• securing a channel member to the facing sheet within the groove, the channel member having a first surface and a second surface defining at least one aperture, the channel member being secured within the groove such that the second surface of the channel member extends across the groove and is substantially flush with the facing sheet.