Detachable quarter panel bracket

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10967913-B2
Application number	US-201916553609-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2019
Priority date	Aug 28, 2019
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus, according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a bracket having a first attachment feature configured for attachment to a quarter panel and a second attachment feature configured for attachment to a body inner structure. A BLIS module attaches to the body inner structure without covering the first attachment feature. A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, attaching a quarter panel to a bracket via a first attachment feature, attaching the quarter panel with the bracket to a body inner structure, attaching the bracket to the body inner structure via a second attachment feature, and attaching a BLIS module to the body inner structure without covering the first attachment feature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a bracket having a first attachment feature configured for attachment to a quarter panel and a second attachment feature configured for attachment to a body inner structure; and
a BLIS module that attaches to the body inner structure without covering the first attachment feature.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first attachment feature comprises one or more first holes configured to receive one or more first fasteners to secure the bracket to the quarter panel.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second attachment feature comprises one or more second holes configured to receive one or more second fasteners to secure the bracket to the body inner structure.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first attachment feature comprises one or more first holes configured to receive one or more first fasteners to secure the bracket to the quarter panel, and wherein the second attachment feature comprises one or more second holes configured to receive one or more second fasteners to secure the bracket to the body inner structure.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the first holes comprise at least two first holes that are axially spaced apart from each other, and wherein the second holes are located axially between the at least two first holes.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the quarter panel includes a third attachment feature configured for attachment to the body inner structure, and wherein the quarter panel can be removed from the bracket and the body inner structure without having to remove the bracket from the body inner structure.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the BLIS module covers at least a portion of the second attachment feature.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bracket comprises a flat body portion extending between first and second end portions and with an enlarged central portion between the first and second end portions, and wherein the bracket includes an elongated flange portion having a first flange end portion and a second flange end portion opposite the first flange end portion, and wherein the elongated flange portion extends outwardly of the flat body portion along one edge of the flat body portion between the first and second end portions.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the first attachment feature comprises at least two first holes and the second attachment feature comprises at least two second holes, and wherein one first hole is located at the first flange end portion, another first hole is located at the second flange end portion, and the at least two second holes are located in the enlarged central portion of the flat body portion.

10. An apparatus, comprising:
a body inner structure;
a quarter panel attached to the body inner structure;
a bracket having at least one first hole to receive a first fastener to attach the bracket to the quarter panel and at least one second hole to receive a second fastener to attach the bracket to the body inner structure; and
a BLIS module attached to the body inner structure without covering the first fastener.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one first hole comprises at least two first holes that receive first fasteners to secure the bracket to the quarter panel, and wherein the at least one second hole comprises at least two second holes that receive second fasteners to secure the bracket to the body inner structure.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the bracket comprises a flat body portion extending between first and second end portions and with an enlarged central portion between the first and second end portions, and wherein the bracket includes an elongated flange portion having a first flange end portion and a second flange end portion opposite the first flange end portion, and wherein the elongated flange portion extends outwardly of the flat body portion along one edge of the flat body portion between the first and second end portions.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the first attachment feature comprises at least two first holes and the second attachment feature comprises at least two second holes, and wherein one first hole is located at the first flange end portion, another first hole is located at the second flange end portion, and the at least two second holes are located in the enlarged central portion of the flat body portion.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the quarter panel can be removed from the bracket and the body inner structure without having to remove the bracket from the body inner structure.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the BLIS module covers at least a portion of the second attachment feature.

16. A method, comprising:
(a) attaching a quarter panel to a bracket via a first attachment feature;
(b) attaching the quarter panel with the bracket to a body inner structure;
(c) attaching the bracket to the body inner structure via a second attachment feature, and
(d) attaching a BLIS module to the body inner structure without covering the first attachment feature.

17. The method according to claim 16 , including, subsequent to step (d), removing the quarter panel from the body inner structure without having to remove the BLIS module from the body inner structure.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein step (a) further includes forming the first attachment feature as at least two first holes to receive first fasteners to attach the bracket to the quarter panel, and wherein step (c) further includes forming the second attachment feature as at least two second holes to receive second fasteners to attach the bracket to the body inner structure.

19. The method according to claim 18 , including
forming the bracket as a flat body portion extending between first and second end portions and with an enlarged central portion between the first and second end portions, and
forming the bracket with an elongated flange portion having a first flange end portion and a second flange end portion opposite the first flange end portion, and such that the elongated flange portion extends outwardly of the flat body portion along one edge of the flat body portion between the first and second end portions.

20. The method according to claim 19 , including forming one first hole at the first flange end portion, forming another first hole at the second flange end portion, and the positioning the at least two second holes in the enlarged central portion of the flat body portion.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Marchlewski Jack
• Wagner Darrin Neil
• Reiners Robert

Classifications

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title

• B60K35/50

  Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle (B60K35/231 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D25/02 Primary

  Side panels {(B62D33/046 takes precedence; sideboards for open load compartments B62D33/023)} · CPC title

• B62D27/06

  readily releasable · CPC title

• B62D25/08 Primary

  Front or rear portions {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11)} · CPC title