Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Assembling or joining
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-28
2001-03-27
Hughes, S. Thomas (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Assembling or joining
C029S525010, C280S848000, C280S849000, C280S154000, C296S198000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205642
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a method of mounting a body side molding on a body of a motor vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A motor vehicle body typically includes a plurality of vertical body panels having respective ones of a plurality of inverted U-shaped openings therein referred to as “wheel wells” through which access is had to dirigible road wheels of the motor vehicle. Each vertical panel is usually structurally reinforced around the peripheral edge of the wheel well therein by an integral, inward-turned “mounting flange” perpendicular to the vertical panel.
Commonly, the peripheral edge of the wheel well is shrouded by a body side molding referred to as a “wheel flare” which includes a face generally parallel to the vertical panel and a flange generally perpendicular to the face. An inner surface of the wheel flare face has a strip of pressure sensitive adhesive (“PSA”) tape thereon adjacent a peripheral edge of the face. An exposed surface of the PSA tape is covered by a protective film to prevent contamination. The wheel flare flange is clamped to the mounting flange on the vertical panel by a plurality of self-locking fasteners pushed through aligned pairs of apertures in the wheel flare flange and the mounting flange. Concurrently, the protective film is removed from the PSA tape to adhesively bond the peripheral edge of the wheel flare face to the vertical panel. If the protective film is torn during removal from the PSA tape, installation of the wheel flare on the vehicle body is delayed and the expense associated with the installation increased. A method according to this invention of mounting a wheel flare or other body side molding with PSA tape thereon on a panel of a motor vehicle body facilitates removal of the protective film from the PSA tape without tearing and is, therefore, an improvement over heretofore known methods of mounting such wheel flares or other body side moldings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is a new and improved method of mounting a wheel flare or other body side molding on a motor vehicle body panel including the steps of forming the wheel flare or other body side molding with a face having a strip of PSA tape thereon covered by a protective film, mounting the wheel flare or other body side molding on the body panel for linear translation perpendicular to the body panel, removing the protective film from the PSA tape in a gap defined between the body panel and the face in a first position of the wheel flare or other body side molding relative to the body panel, linearly translating the wheel flare or other body side molding perpendicular to the body panel from the first position to a second position in which the face bears against the body panel with the PSA tape trapped therebetween and adhesively bonded to each, and rigidly clamping the wheel flare or other body side molding in the second position thereof to the body panel. In a preferred embodiment of the method according to this invention, a pair of barbed fasteners on a mounting flange around a peripheral edge of a wheel well in a vertical panel of a vehicle body cooperate with a pair of lateral slots in a flange of a wheel flare in supporting the wheel flare on the vertical panel for linear translation perpendicular to the vertical panel.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4235466 (1980-11-01), Mandrik
patent: 4784430 (1988-11-01), Biermacher
patent: 4822656 (1989-04-01), Hutter
patent: 5238268 (1993-08-01), Logan
patent: 5340154 (1994-08-01), Scott
patent: 5353571 (1994-10-01), Berdan et al.
Cozart Jermie E.
General Motors Corporation
Hughes S. Thomas
Sedlar Jeffrey A.
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