Automobile assembly
AssigneeDow Global Technologies LLC
InventorsPeter J. Cate, Pádraig Naughton, Hein J. Koelman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for making an automobile assembly having a moulded plastics structural member and a reinforcing member in which a polymerizable adhesive is employed to bond the two members together and an automobile assembly having a bonded structural member and a reinforcing member. The assembly is suitably used as a “front end carrier” or a bumper system in an automobile.
Claims23
A bumper system comprising a structural member made of a moulded plastic material having a low energy surface which is not surface treated and a reinforcing member attached to the structural member, the structural member and reinforcing member having complementary surfaces and being attached by means of an adhesive, on at least part of one of the complementary surfaces wherein the adhesive comprises an organoborane amine complex, one or more of monomers, oligomers or polymers having olefinic unsaturation which is capable of polymerisation by free radical polymerisation, and a compound which causes the complex to disassociate so as to release the organoborane, wherein;
- i) the reinforcing member is an energy absorbing unit made of metal or plastic material and the structural member is a bumper fascia made of plastic material;
- wherein the energy absorbing unit is bonded to the bumper fascia such that a closed box section is formed between the energy absorption unit and the bumper fascia;
- or
- ii) the reinforcing member is a bumper beam made of metal and the structural member is an energy absorbing unit made of plastic material wherein the energy absorbing unit is bonded to the bumper beam such that a closed box section is formed between the energy absorption unit and the bumper beam.
A front end carrier for an automobile which has two sides wherein the front end carrier joins the two sides of the automobile together at the front of the automobile and is aligned transversely so as to define a compartment, comprising a structural member wherein the structural member is made of a moulded plastic material having a low energy surface and a reinforcing member wherein the structural member and reinforcing member have complementary surfaces and are attached by means of an adhesive which is capable of bonding to a low energy surface substrate, wherein the adhesive is located on at least part of one or both of the complementary surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.