GB2340085A - A plastic panel for a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Description

2340085 A Plastic Panel for a Motor Vehicle This invention relates to

motor vehicles and in particular to a plastic panel for a motor vehicle.

It is known to provide a motor vehicle having a metal structure to which is attached a number of plastic panels. It is a disadvantage of using plastic for a panel in such circumstances that the coefficient of thermal of expansion for the plastic materials suitable for use in such a manner is higher than the coefficient of thermal expansion for the metals typically used to produce the metal structure namely steel or aluminium.

Therefore if the plastic panel is fixed around its perimeter to the metal structure and the panel is subsequently subjected to an increased ambient temperature the panel will bow or distort to accommodate the expansion of the plastic material. This is aesthetically unacceptable when the panel is to be used for an exterior surface of a motor vehicle.

When a plastic panel is used for an aperture covering such as a door, engine cover such as a bonnet, luggage compartment cover such as a boot lid, trunk cover or hatch back then a further problem arises. To ensure that when the panel expands it does not impinge upon the surrounding metal structure a large clearance gap has to be provided which is unsightly and unacceptable to most consumers.

It is an object of this invention to pro vide an improved plastic panel for a motor vehicle.

According to the invention there is provided a plastic panel for a motor vehicle A plastic panel for a motor vehicle having a number of edges defining the panel wherein at least one of the edges of said panel is upset from the panel so as to allow in use the upset edge to overlie in use an adjacent member.

The or each upset edge may form an integral trim member along the edge of the panel.

The trim member may be formed as an integral part thereof by co- moulding therewith.

The panel may form the outer surface of a door, an engine cover or a luggage compartment cover.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference 15 to the accompanying drawing of which:- Fig. 1 is a plan cross-section of a door assembly including a plastic panel according to the invention; Fig.2 is an enlarged view of part of the door assembly shown in Fig. 1; Fig.3 is a cross-section through an edge portion of a plastic panel according to the invention; and Fig.4 is a scrap section on the line Y- Y on Fig. 2.

With reference to the Figures there is shown part of the body structure of a motor vehicle indicated generally at 10 which defines a door opening closeable by a door 14.

The door 14 is mounted on a door pillar 16, for example, the usual "A" post of the vehicle, by means of a mounting arm 18. The arm 18 is pivotally connected at one end to a bracket 22 on the pillar 16 and at the other end the door 14.

A control arm 26 has a first end connected to the bracket 22 and a second end connected to the door 14.- The control arm 26 prevents uncontrolled pivoting of the door 14 on the mounting arm 18.

An outer door seal 30 is attached to an inner panel 15 of the door 14 for co-operation with the door pillar 16 and an inner seal 30a is carried by a flange on pillar 16 for co-operation with the inner panel 15 of the door. A rear door seal 30c is attached to a rear door pillar in the form of a "C" post 12.

The mounting arm 18 has an operating member 34 having an arcuate row of teeth 36 thereon. The teeth 36 mesh with a similar arcuate, row of teeth 38 formed on a spring biased closure member 40 which is mounted for pivoting on the bracket 22 about an axis 41.

The closure member 40 is curved and tapers towards its left hand end 42 as viewed in Fig 2. With the door 14 in a closed position as shown in Fig. 2 the closure member 40 is located behind a pin 44 carried by a bracket 1046 attached the door 14. The pin 44 is spaced from the door 14 and the closure member 40 projects through the space so as to lie behind the pin 44. Operation of such a hinge arrangement is described in greater detail in GBA- 2,298,236. The door is movable between a closed position as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig.2 to an open position as shown by the dotted outline assigned the reference numeral 114 on Fig. 1.

The door 14 has an outer plastic panel 2 attached to the inner panel 15 by means of a number of hook shaped fingers 6 formed on the inner panel 15 which engage with loops 5 formed as an integral part of the outer plastic panel 2. This allows the outer panel 2 to move slightly relative to the inner panel 15 if differential expansion occurs.

The outer plastic panel 2 has an upturned edge 4 which extends around the peripheral edge of the plastic panel 2. The upturned edge 4 has a front portion 4f which is arranged to overlie another member of the motor vehicle in the form of a body panel forming the front wing or fender 3 of the motor 5 vehicle.

The upturned edge 4 has a rear portion 4r arranged to overlie another member of the motor vehicle in the form of the rear pillar 12.

It will be appreciated that if the plastic panel 2 expands then the overlapping nature of its upturned edges 4, 4f, 4r with the surrounding parts of the motor vehicle means that there is no visible change in the gap between the plastic panel and the surrounding body structure. This can be particularly useful if the whole door is made from plastic material but the surrounding body structure is made from metal such as aluminium or steel. This because a large gap can be provided between the periphery of the door and the surrounding body to allow for expansion of the plastic door but this gap is not visible to the end user. Therefore it is possible to produce a plastic door with sufficient clearance to ensure that it does not stick or bind when in a hot environment but is aesthetically pleasing when subjected to low temperatures.

Although the invention has been described with reference to its use as an outer panel for a door it is also especially applicable to use as an engine cover, luggage cover, rear hatchback cover and for other panels that abut a member having a dissimilar expansion coefficient.

In addition if the front fender 3 is also made from plastic material it will be appreciated that expansion of that panel will also be hidden from view as it is covered by the upturned edge 4f of the plastic panel 2.

As is shown in Fig.3 the upturned edges 50 project above the normal panel line X-X formed by the mating panels 51, 52 and can be made from a different material to that from which the plastic panel itself is made. For example -the upturned edge 50 can be made from a soft black plastics material to define a trim member surrounding the plastic panel. The upturned edge 50 in such a case may abut lightly against the panel it overlaps to form a seal therebetween.

Claims (7)

-7CLAIMS

1. A plastic panel for a motor vehicle having a number of edges defining the panel wherein at least one of the edges of said panel is upset from the panel so as to allow in use the upset edge to overlie in use an adjacent member.

2. A plastic panel as claimed in claim I in which the or each upset edge forms an integral trim member along the edge of the panel.

3. A plastic panel as claimed in Claim 2 in which the trim member is formed as an integral part thereof by co-moulding therewith.

4. A plastic panel as claimed in any preceding claim in which the panel forms the outer surface of a door.

5. A plastic panel as claimed in any preceding claim in which the panel forms the outer surface of an engine cover.

6. A plastic panel as claimed in any preceding claim in which the panel forms the outer surface of a luggage compartment cover.

7. A plastic panel substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.