Patent Application
20180134226
The present disclosure generally relates to vehicle luggage racks, and more particularly, to vehicle luggage racks employing a composite structure.
Weight savings in vehicles may increase the fuel economy of a vehicle as well as reduce emissions. It is therefore desirable to reduce the weight of vehicle components.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle luggage rack rail includes a skin layer including a first polymeric material and defining interior and exterior surfaces. A coating is positioned on the exterior surface of the skin layer. A base layer is coupled to the interior surface and includes a second polymeric material. The base layer defines a void therein and a plurality of fibers extending through the base layer.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of forming a vehicle luggage rack rail including the steps: extruding a plurality of basalt fiber rovings within a first polymeric material to form a base layer, wherein the rovings are positioned within corners of the base layer; extruding the base layer within a second polymeric material to form a skin layer over the base layer; and plating a metal coating onto an exterior surface of the skin layer.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of forming a vehicle luggage rack rail, including the steps: extruding a plurality of basalt fibers within a first polymeric material to form a base layer, wherein the basalt fibers are substantially concentrated within corners of the base layer; extruding the base layer within a second polymeric material to form a skin layer over the base layer; and cutting the base layer and skin layer to form the rail.
These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
The following is a description of the figures in the accompanying drawings. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic in the interest of clarity and conciseness.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows and will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description or recognized by practicing the invention as described in the following description together with the claims and appended drawings.
As used herein, the term “and/or,” when used in a list of two or more items, means that any one of the listed items can be employed by itself, or any combination of two or more of the listed items, can be employed. For example, if a composition is described as containing components A, B, and/or C, the composition can contain A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination.
In this document, relational terms, such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like, are used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by “comprises . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
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The fiber rovings 42 may extend a majority of the length of the rails 18, 22 or only a portion of the rails 18, 22. In other examples, the fiber rovings 42 extend through an entire length of the rails, 18, 22. It will be understood that a portion of the rovings 42 may be continuous and a portion of the rovings 42 may be discontinuous. The fiber rovings 42 may be aligned along the length (e.g., in the vehicle forward and rearward directions) of the rails 18, 22. In examples where the rovings 42 are discontinuous across the rails 18, 22, the rovings 42 may be aligned with one another (e.g., substantially co-axially). According to various examples, the fiber rovings 42 may be positioned within high stress areas (e.g., high tension stress areas) of the side rails 18 and the cross rails 22. Such high stress areas may include the corners 34D, the base 34A and other high stress areas. The fiber rovings 42 may be positioned in the high stress areas such that a greater proportion of the fiber rovings 42 are positioned in the corners 34D of the rails 18, 22 relative the sides 34C or the top 34B of the base layer 34. It will be understood that a greater number of rovings 42 may be positioned at high stress areas along the length of the rails 18, 22 (i.e., in a three-dimensional manner rather than just a two-dimensional manner). For example, the center of the rails 18, 22 (e.g., as measured from end to end of the rails 18, 22) may have a greater number of rovings 42 (e.g., anywhere in the base layer 34) as compared to ends of the rails 18, 22. Further, the fiber rovings 42 may be positioned on an inboard or an outboard side of the base layer 34 depending on anticipated stresses to be experienced by the luggage rack 14 in use. The rovings 42 may have a fiber volume fraction in the second polymeric material 36 of greater than or equal to about 1%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80% or greater than or equal to about 90%. It will be understood that the second polymeric material 36 may include a plurality of chopped fibers, either aligned or unaligned, disposed through the base layer 34 of the side rails 18 and the cross rails 22.
The base layer 34 defines the void 38 extending therethrough. The void 38 may account for a cross-sectional area of the base layer 34 of greater than or equal to about 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, and 80%. The void 38 may have a cross-sectional shape substantially similar to that of the base layer 34, or may be different. For example, the void 38 may be square, rectangular, circular, star pattern or other cross-sectional two-dimensional shapes. According to some examples, the void 38 may extend a majority of a length of the rails 18, 22. In other examples, the void 38 may extend an entire length of the rails 18, 22 or may be a segmented or discontinuous structure. In some examples, one or more support ribs may extend across the void 38. The fiber rovings 42 may be positioned in the base layer 34 to define retention zones 68 where substantially no fiber rovings 42 exist. The retention zones 68 may be defined in both the base 34A and the sides 34C of the base layer 34. The base layer 34 and the skin layer 26 cooperate to define one or more retention features 72. The retention features 72 are configured to accept attachment features 76. The attachment features 76 and retention features 72 cooperate to couple the side rails 18 to the attachment points 54. It will be understood, that the retention features 72 and the attachment features 76 may also couple the side rails 18 to the cross rails 22 in a substantially similar manner. The retention features 72 are defined within the retention zones 68 so as not to interfere with the fiber rovings 42. In other examples, the attachment features 76 may directly couple with the rovings 42 to enhance rigidity of the luggage rack 14.
Positioned between the base layer 34 and the interior surface 26A of the skin layer 26 is an optional tie layer 84. The tie layer 84 may be an adhesive or polymeric material which is compatible with the first and second polymeric materials 28, 36. The tie layer 84 may be used to create greater adhesion between the skin layer 26 and the base layer 34. Additionally or alternatively, mechanical methods (e.g., surface roughening, fasteners, mechanical coupling mechanisms, etc.) may be used to create greater adhesion between the skin layer 26 and the base layer 34.
The skin layer 26 may be composed of a polymeric material, a metal, a ceramic material or combinations thereof. In polymeric examples, the skin layer 26 may be formed of the first polymeric material 28. The first polymeric material 28 may be composed of a nylon, a polypropylene, an epoxy, a polyester, a vinyl ester, a polyetheretherketone, a poly(phenylene sulfide), a polyetherimide, a polycarbonate, a silicone, a polyimide, a poly(ether sulfone), a melamine-formaldehyde, a phenol-formaldehyde, and a polybenzimidazole, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or combinations thereof. According to some examples, the skin layer 26 may not include the fiber rovings 42 or chopped fibers disposed therein. In yet other examples, the skin layer 26 may include the fiber rovings 42 and/or chopped fibers.
According to various examples, the skin layer 26 may be amenable to plating, painting, printing or combinations thereof. The coating 30 is positioned on the exterior surface 26B of the skin layer 26. The coating 30 may be a paint layer, a decorative layer, or a plated layer. For example, the plated layer may include a metal which has been electrically plated (e.g., through electro-deposition) to the skin layer 26. In decorative layer examples of the coating 30, the decorative layer may be adhesively, chemically, or mechanically bonded to the exterior surface 26B of the skin layer 26. The decorative layer may provide a metallic appearance, a colored appearance, a textured appearance (e.g., wood, brushed metal, etc.) alphanumeric text, and combinations thereof to the luggage rack 14.
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Next, a step 98 of extruding the base layer 34 within the second polymeric material 36 to form the skin layer 26 over the base layer 34 is performed. In such an example, the first polymeric material 28 may be of a composition amenable to painting, or electrical plating. The first polymeric material 28 may be applied to the base layer 34 immediately after formation of the base layer 34, or at a later point in production.
Next, a step 102 of applying the coating 30 to the exterior surface 26B of the skin layer 26 is performed. In such a step, applying the coating 30 may include applying the decorative layer, painting the exterior surface 26B, and/or plating a metal layer onto the exterior surface 26B of the skin layer 26. Electroplating may be a process that uses electric current to reduce dissolved metal cations so that they form a thin coherent metal coating on an electrode (e.g., the skin layer 26).
Next, step 106 of defining the retention features 72 within the retention zones 68 is performed. The retention features 72 may be formed via drilling holes, or heat staking the attachment features 76 into the retention zones 68. It will be understood that the steps of the method 90 disclosed herein may be performed in any order or may be performed at the same time as any other step without departing from the teachings provided herein.
Use of the present disclosure may offer several advantages. First, constructing the luggage rack 14 of low cost and low density materials may provide a weight reduction to the vehicle 10 at a significantly lower cost than conventional materials. Second, by applying the coating 30 to the exterior surface 26B, additional manufacturing steps such as polishing may not be required, which may save both manufacturing time and expense. Third, by utilizing the skin layer 26 over the base layer 34, structural polymeric materials which may typically not be able to provide a decorative appearance may be utilized (e.g., as the base layer 34) while still offering an aesthetically pleasing design. Fourth, use of the skin layer 26 may offer multiple appearances and finishes across the different components of the luggage rack 14 which may offer a design flexibility. Fifth, use of basalt fibers in the rovings 42 instead of traditional fibers, such as carbon fibers, may result in a cost savings while achieving the same or comparable mechanical strength.
Modifications of the disclosure will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the disclosure. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the following claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the doctrine of equivalents.
It will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that construction of the described disclosure, and other components, is not limited to any specific material. Other exemplary embodiments of the disclosure disclosed herein may be formed from a wide variety of materials, unless described otherwise herein.
For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” (in all of its forms: couple, coupling, coupled, etc.) generally means the joining of two components (electrical or mechanical) directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two components (electrical or mechanical) and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components. Such joining may be permanent in nature, or may be removable or releasable in nature, unless otherwise stated.
It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the disclosure, as shown in the exemplary embodiments, is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present innovations have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts, or elements shown as multiple parts may be integrally formed, the operation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, the length or width of the structures and/or members or connector or other elements of the system may be varied, and the nature or numeral of adjustment positions provided between the elements may be varied. It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies of the system may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors, textures, and combinations. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present innovations. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present innovations.
It will be understood that any described processes, or steps within described processes, may be combined with other disclosed processes or steps to form structures within the scope of the present disclosure. The exemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting.
It is also to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structures and methods without departing from the concepts of the present disclosure, and further, it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims, unless these claims, by their language, expressly state otherwise. Further, the claims as set forth below, are incorporated into and constitute part of this Detailed Description.
