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US 7,111,900 B2Granted
Vehicle floor having a unitary inner panel and outer panel
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsAdrian B. Chernoff, Christopher E. Borroni-Bird, Mohsen D. Shabana, Robert Louis Vitale, Tommy E. White
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle floor includes a unitary, one-piece panel. The panel is formed with an integral channel for routing a vehicle distribution system conduit therewithin. The panel may include an inner panel portion, an outer panel portion, integral rocker panel portions, front, rear and trunk floor portions. A method is provided for manufacturing a vehicle floor, the method including forming such a panel.
Claims12
A vehicle floor comprising:
- a unitary, one-piece floor panel formed with an integral channel for routing a vehicle distribution system conduit at least partially within said channel, wherein the vehicle distribution system is selected from the group consisting of electrical, hydraulic and ventilation;
- and
- wherein the floor panel includes an inner panel portion and an outer panel portion forming a floor pan portion, and wherein the panel is sufficiently bendable between the inner panel portion and the outer panel portion to at least partially enclose and further define the channel therebetween.
A vehicle floor comprising:
- a unitary, one-piece panel formed with an integral channel for routing a vehicle distribution system conduit at least partially within said channel, wherein the vehicle distribution system is selected from the group consisting of electrical, hydraulic and ventilation;
- wherein the panel includes an inner panel portion and an outer panel portion, and wherein the panel is sufficiently bendable between the inner panel portion and the outer panel portion to at least partially enclose and further define said channel therebetween;
- wherein the panel includes a front floor pan portion, a rear floor pan portion and a trunk portion;
- wherein the panel is formed to at least partially define opposing rocker panel portions;
- and
- wherein the panel is fanned by quick plastic forming.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.