Damping and stiffening of a vehicle body panel
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsJason Douglas Scott, Bruce Richard Ghastin, Shunmugam Baskar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A damping and stiffening assembly for a body panel. The assembly includes a first damping patch and a second damping patch that are attached to the body panel. The assembly also includes a stiffening lamination that has a first end, a middle portion, and a second end. The first end of the stiffening lamination attaches to and overlaps the first damping patch. The middle portion of the stiffening lamination attaches to the body panel. The second end of the stiffening lamination attaches to and overlaps the second damping patch.
Claims20
A damping and stiffening assembly for a body panel comprising:
- first and second separate elastic damping patches spaced apart from one another and each attached to the body panel;
- and
- a stiffening panel having a first side portion, a middle portion, and a second side portion, wherein the first side portion includes a first proximal end that is secured to the middle portion and a first distal end that is directly attached to, overlaps, and terminates over the first elastic damping patch, the middle portion is directly attached to the body panel, and the second side portion includes a second proximal end that is attached to the middle portion and a second distal end that is directly attached to, overlaps, and terminates over the second elastic damping patch.
A vehicle body component comprising:
- a vehicle body panel having an inboard surface;
- a first elastic damping patch having an outboard surface and an inboard surface, the outboard surface directly attached to the inboard surface of the vehicle body panel;
- a second elastic damping patch, spaced apart from the first elastic damping patch, having an outboard surface and an inboard surface, the outboard surface directly attached to the inboard surface of the vehicle body panel;
- and
- a stiffening panel having a first side portion, a middle portion, and a second side portion, the stiffening panel extending from the first elastic damping patch to the second elastic damping patch, wherein the first side portion includes a first proximal end that is secured to the middle portion and a first distal end that is directly attached to, overlaps, and terminates over the inboard surface of the first elastic damping patch, the middle portion is directly attached to the inboard surface of the vehicle body panel, and the second side portion includes a second proximal end that is attached to the middle portion and a second distal end that is directly attached to, overlaps, and terminates over the inboard surface of the second elastic damping patch.
A vehicle door comprising:
- a door panel;
- first and second separate elastic damping patches spaced apart from one another and secured to the panel;
- and
- a stiffening panel having two side portions extending outward from a middle portion secured to the door panel, proximal ends of the side portions are secured to the middle portion and distal ends of the side portions are secured to, overlap, and terminate over the first and second patches, respectively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.