Different materials panel structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9751571-B2
Application number	US-201515112004-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2015
Priority date	Feb 7, 2014
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

Provided is a different materials panel structure having reduced occurrence of displacement or warping of a joining section and having excellent external appearance of an outer panel ( 2 ). The different materials panel structure has: an outer panel comprising a first metal material; an inner panel ( 3 ) arranged on the lower surface side of the outer panel and comprising a second metal material having a higher fusion point than the first metal material; and a rivet ( 6 ) comprising the same material as the second metal material and comprising a head section and a shaft section. An outer panel comprises a hemmed section formed by folding a rim section and which supports the inner panel via an adhesive layer ( 9 ). The head section of the rivet remains on the outer panel surface. The shaft section of the rivet penetrates from the lower surface side of the hemmed section of the outer panel towards the inner panel. A tip of the shaft section is spot-welded to the inner panel and a protruding section ( 3 a ) is provided in the inner panel at a position corresponding to the rivet and protruding in the axial direction of the rivet. A heat insulation section ( 8 ) comprising the adhesive layer or the adhesive layer and a gap is formed between the protruding section after welding and the outer panel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A panel structure, comprising:
an outer panel that is made of a first metallic material;
an inner panel that is disposed at a lower surface side of the outer panel and that is made of a second metallic material different from the first metallic material and having a melting point that is higher than that of the first metallic material; and
a rivet that is made of the same material as the second metallic material and that includes a head section and a shaft section,
wherein:
the outer panel includes a hemmed section that is formed by bending a peripheral edge portion of the outer panel and that holds the inner panel via an adhesive layer;
with the head section of the rivet remaining on a surface of the outer panel, the shaft section of the rivet penetrates towards the inner panel from a lower surface side of the hemmed section of the outer panel, and an end of the shaft section is spot-welded to the inner panel;
the inner includes a protruding section at a location thereof that faces the rivet, the protruding section extending in an axial direction of the rivet; and

a heat insulation section including the adhesive layer or the adhesive layer and a gap is formed between the outer panel and the protruding section of the inner panel after welding,
wherein a portion of the rivet that contacts the outer panel includes a film having a resistivity that is higher than that of the inner panel.

2. The panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the head section and the shaft section of the rivet is caulked to the outer panel.

3. The panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein the rivet is joined to a corner of the inner panel.

4. The panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein the first metallic material is aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and the second metallic material is iron or an iron alloy.

5. The panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein the film having a resistivity that is higher than that of the inner panel is made of zinc, lead, or aluminum.

6. The panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein the film having a resistivity that is higher than that of the inner panel is made of a synthetic resin.

7. The panel structure according to claim 6 , wherein the film having a resistivity that is higher than that of the inner panel is made of a polyester resin or a silicone resin.

8. The panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein the film having a resistivity that is higher than that of the inner panel is made of an oxide of iron.

9. The panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein the film having a resistivity that is higher than that of the inner panel is made of an electroless Ni—P plated film.

10. The panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein the panel structure is a panel structure for an automobile body.

11. The panel structure according to claim 10 , wherein the panel structure for an automobile body is a hood, a door, or a trunk.

12. The panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein the protruding section has a conical shape.

13. The panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein the protruding section has a pyramidal shape.

14. The panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein the protruding section has a circular truncated conical shape.

15. The panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein the protruding section has a frustum shape.

16. The panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein the protruding section has a rectangular column shape.

17. The panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein the protruding section has a dome shape.

18. The panel structure according to claim 1 , wherein the protruding section has a bead shape.

Assignees

• Kobe Steel Ltd
• Kobe Steel Ltd

Inventors

• Iwase Tetsu
• Imamura Yoshihaya

Classifications

• B21J15/025

  Setting self-piercing rivets · CPC title

• F16B5/04

  by means of riveting (rivets F16B19/04) · CPC title

• B60J5/0483

  lightweight metal, e.g. aluminum, magnesium · CPC title

• B62D27/023

  Assembly of structural joints · CPC title

• B62D29/008 Primary

  predominantly of light alloys, e.g. extruded · CPC title