Vehicular panel structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018170451-A1
Application number	US-201715843473-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 15, 2017
Priority date	Dec 21, 2016
Publication date	Jun 21, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicular panel structure includes a panel, a reinforcement disposed inward of the panel in a vehicle, and mastic that bonds the panel and the reinforcement to each other. The reinforcement is provided with a body portion constituting a middle portion in a longitudinal direction and having a linear expansion coefficient smaller than the linear expansion coefficient of the panel, a connection portion constituting an end portion in the longitudinal direction, and a joining portion allowing the body portion and the connection portion to be joined to each other by a thermosetting adhesive and a fastener. A long hole portion is disposed in the reinforcement and is formed in either the connection portion or the body portion. The fastener is inserted into the long hole portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicular panel structure comprising:
a panel constituting a vehicle; an elongated reinforcement disposed inward of the panel in the vehicle and shaped such that the reinforcement protrudes to the panel side or a side opposite to the panel; and mastic that is disposed between the panel and the reinforcement and that bonds the panel and the reinforcement to each other, wherein: the reinforcement includes a body portion, a connection portion, and a joining portion; a long hole portion is disposed in the reinforcement; the body portion constitutes a middle portion of the reinforcement in a longitudinal direction; a linear expansion coefficient of the body portion is smaller than a linear expansion coefficient of the panel; the connection portion constitutes an end portion of the reinforcement in the longitudinal direction; the connection portion is joined to the panel directly or indirectly via a member; the joining portion allows the body portion and the connection portion to be joined to each other by a thermosetting adhesive and a fastener; the long hole portion is disposed in either the body portion or the connection portion; the long hole portion is configured for the fastener to be inserted into the long hole portion; and the long hole portion is disposed such that a hole becomes longer along the longitudinal direction of the reinforcement.

2 . The vehicular panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the fastener is a rivet having a head portion; and the long hole portion is disposed on a side of the body portion and the connection portion in contact with the head portion.

3 . The vehicular panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the body portion extends in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcement; and a cross section of the body portion orthogonal to the longitudinal direction is a closed cross section.

4 . The vehicular panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein a linear expansion coefficient of the connection portion is equivalent to a thermal expansion coefficient of the panel or is equal to or smaller than the thermal expansion coefficient of the panel.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Terada Shin
• Kurokawa Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B62D25/06 Primary

  Fixed roofs (non-fixed roofs or like shelters B60J7/00; roof liners B60R13/02; insulating elements B60R13/08) · CPC title

• B60J5/045

  Panel type elements (B60J5/0455 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D27/026 Primary

  Connections by glue bonding (in general F16B11/00; processes C09J5/00) · CPC title

• B60J5/0469

  for door panels, e.g. hemming (hemming equipment B21D39/00) · CPC title