METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A VEHICLE BODY PANEL PART, VEHICLE BODY PANEL PART, AND INTERMEDIATE PRODUCT IN MANUFACTURING A VEHICLE BODY PANEL PART

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a vehicle body panel part includes reshaping a transparent sheet that serves as an outer skin, where the transparent sheet has a front side and a rear side, and applying a panel onto some areas of the rear side of the transparent sheet. The panel is made of a transparent or translucent material and has a protective layer on its rear side. A wet application of a paint is provided onto the rear side of the transparent sheet to form a coloring layer. The transparent sheet is provided with a foamed backing on the rear side, at least in areas in which the transparent sheet is not covered by the panel, to form a foamed layer. The invention further relates to a vehicle body panel part and to an intermediate product obtained in manufacturing the vehicle body panel part.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a vehicle with a vehicle body panel part according to the invention in the form of a roof module.

FIG. 2 shows a basic structure of the vehicle body panel part according to the invention in one method step.

FIG. 3 shows an intermediate product according to the invention in another method step.

FIG. 4 shows the finished body panel part in another method step.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows a vehicle body panel part 10 in the form of a roof module in a condition mounted to a vehicle. The vehicle body panel part 10 could also be a fender, a door, or a flap (engine hood, trunk lid, etc.) of a vehicle.

The basic structure of the vehicle body panel part 10 is shown in FIG. 4.

The vehicle body panel part 10 has an outer skin that is visible from outside of the vehicle in a condition mounted to the vehicle. The outer skin is formed by a thin, transparent, thermally reshaped sheet 12. The sheet 12 is made of a transparent or translucent plastic material and has a front side 14, which in the installed condition is visible from the outside, and a rear side 16. Some areas on the rear side 16 of the sheet 12 are provided with at least one transparent or translucent panel 18 (two are shown) that is an inherently stiff sheet, or is made of glass. The panel 18 is, e.g., glued onto the sheet 12.

In those areas in which no panel 18 is applied on the rear side 16 of the sheet 12, the sheet 12 is provided with a foamed backing on the rear side 16. A foamed layer 20 produced in the process comprises a glass-fiber reinforced PU foam. Glass fibers F are introduced in the PU foam by using the LFI method, which reinforces the foamed layer 20. The foamed layer 20 has a higher resistance to bending than the sheet 12 serving as the outer skin, and constitutes a kind of support frame.

Provided between the sheet 12 and the foamed layer 20 is a coloring layer 22 which is in the form of a coat of paint, for example. The coloring layer 22 takes on the function of the exterior paintwork since the coloring layer 22 shines through, i.e. is visible through, the colorless and transparent sheet 12 and can be viewed from outside the vehicle.

In the method of manufacturing the vehicle body panel part 10, the sheet 12 is reshaped by being deep-drawn or thermoplastically reshaped.

Subsequently, the panel 18 is glued onto the rear side 16 of the sheet 12. The panel 18 is provided on its rear side with a protective layer 24, in particular a strip-off film (FIG. 2).

A paint is applied wet on the rear side 16 of the sheet 12. In one example, paint is applied onto the entire component (i.e. onto the sheet 12 and the protective layer 24). The wet application can be performed by knife coating, rolling, or using a spray-painting method. When the paint, which is applied wet, has dried, the coloring layer 22 has been formed.

With a foaming mold open (not shown), a liquid PU material is applied onto the rear side of the sheet 12, at least in those areas of the sheet 12 which are not covered by the panel 18, and is accompanied by the injection of glass fibers F (LFI method).

A two-part foaming mold is transferred to a closed condition and the PU material expands and fills a cavity formed between lower and upper mold parts (not shown) to constitute the foamed layer 20 after the foaming process. When the lower and upper mold parts have been separated, an intermediate product (FIG. 3) is removed from the foaming mold (not shown). A rear side of the intermediate product features the protective layer 24 which protects the panel 18 from any contaminations (paint, PU material, etc.). A marginal region of the panel 18 has geometries 26 (undercuts, grooves, chamfers, cross-pieces, etc., see dashed lines in FIG. 2) that allow an interlocking fit between the panel 18 and the foamed layer 20.

The protective layer 24 is then removed from the panel 18 so that any contaminations, which may have been produced in applying the paint or the PU material, are removed from the rear side of the panel 18. In the area of the panel 18, the vehicle body panel part 10 remains transparent or translucent, and in the area in which the coloring layer 22 is provided, this coloring layer 20 shines through the sheet 12, as a result of which any exterior paintwork of the vehicle body panel part 10 is eliminated. The coloring layer 22 shining through the sheet 12 does not differ from the color of the rest of the vehicle body.

The method described above may be put to use to manufacture a vehicle body panel part having a continuous outer surface, in particular a panoramic roof, simply and at reasonable cost. This means that there are no gaps between the vehicle body panel parts made up of a plurality of parts, which previously required complicated sealing. The panel 18 and the foamed layer 20 have a higher resistance to bending than the sheet 12, so that a sturdy vehicle body panel part 10 is formed and the required stiffness is achieved.

Although an embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a vehicle body panel part comprising: (a) reshaping a transparent sheet serving as an outer skin, the transparent sheet having a front side and a rear side;(b) applying a panel onto at least some areas of the rear side of the transparent sheet, the panel being made of one of a transparent and a translucent material and having a protective layer on a rear side of the panel;(c) providing a wet application of a paint onto the rear side of the transparent sheet to form a coloring layer; and(d) providing the transparent sheet with a foamed backing on the rear side, at least in areas in which the transparent sheet is not covered by the panel, to form a foamed layer.

2. The method according to claim 1, including applying the foamed layer onto the coloring layer after the paint has dried.

3. The method according to claim 1, including removing the protective layer from the panel after providing at least one of the paint and foamed layer.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the protective layer is a film.

5. The method according to claim 1, including gluing the panel onto the rear side of the transparent sheet.

6. A vehicle body panel part comprising: a transparent sheet that fully constitutes an outer skin of the vehicle body panel part, the transparent sheet having a front side and a rear side;a panel attached to part of the transparent sheet on the rear side, the panel comprising one of a transparent and translucent material;a foamed layer provided on the rear side of the transparent sheet in areas not covered by the panel; anda coloring layer provided between the foamed layer and the transparent sheet.

7. The vehicle body panel part according to claim 6, wherein the panel has a greater stiffness than a stiffness of the transparent sheet.

8. The vehicle body panel part according to claim 6, wherein the panel is made of glass.

9. The vehicle body panel part according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle body panel part comprises a roof module.

10. An intermediate product obtained in a manufacture of a vehicle body panel part comprising: a transparent sheet;a panel attached to a rear side of the transparent sheet and which partially covers the transparent sheet, the panel being made of one of a transparent and a translucent material;a foamed layer produced by providing the transparent sheet with a foamed backing in areas not covered by the panel;a coloring layer provided between the foamed layer and the transparent sheet; anda removable protective layer applied on a rear side of the panel.