US4399174A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Reinforcing material
Assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1982-03-09
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Granted: 1983-08-16
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Expires: 2002-03-09
Abstract
Abstract A material for reinforcing a panel comprises a strip of expandable material which has not yet expanded, and a sheet of resin material which has not yet hardened. The expandable material is centered onto a central portion of the resin material so that the edges of the resin material are exposed and can be bonded to the panel. One surface of the expandable material is exposed to contact the panel. The exposed surface of the expandable material is flush with the surface of the edges of the resin material.
Inventors
- 👤 Kazunori Tanaka
- 👤 Yukio Nagata
- 👤 Toshikatu Miura
- 👤 Yukio Okada
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 03:49
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60J; B60J5/00; B60J5/04; B60J5/042; B60J5/0452; B60J5/0454; B60J5/0422; B60J5/0423; B60J5/043; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/22; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24479; Y10T428/24612; Y10T428/24752; Y10T428/24777; Y10T428/249921; Y10T428/249953; Y10T428/249955; Y10T428/249958; Y10T428/249987; Y10T428/249991; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/31855; Y10T428/31909
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
132 words
A material for reinforcing a panel comprising: a strip of expandable material which has not yet expanded; a sheet of thermosetting resin material which has not yet hardened; the expandable material being affixed to a central portion of the resin material so that the edges of the resin material are exposed; one surface of the expandable material being exposed to contact the panel; the central portion of the resin material being formed with a recess corresponding to the shape of the expandable material; the expandable material being housed within the recess so that the surfaces of the expandable material and the resin material which contact the panel are sufficiently flat so that no gaps exist between the resin material and the panel when applied to the panel before expanding the expandable material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
132 words
A material for reinforcing a panel comprising: a strip of expandable material which has not yet expanded; a sheet of thermosetting resin material which has not yet hardened; the expandable material being affixed to a central portion of the resin material so that the edges of the resin material are exposed; one surface of the expandable material being exposed to contact the panel; the central portion of the resin material being formed with a recess corresponding to the shape of the expandable material; the expandable material being housed within the recess so that the surfaces of the expandable material and the resin material which contact the panel are sufficiently flat so that no gaps exist between the resin material and the panel when applied to the panel before expanding the expandable material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The reinforcing material of claim 1, wherein the edges of the resin material are thicker than the central portion thereof by the thickness of the expandable material so that the surfaces of the reinforcing material parallel to the panel are flat.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The reinforcing material of claim 2, wherein the reinforcing material is rectangular in cross-section.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The reinforcing material of claim 1, wherein the resin material is of constant thickness and is bent to form the recess in which the expandable material is housed.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The reinforcing material of claim 2, wherein the panel is an automobile door outer panel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The reinforcing material of claim 2, wherein the resin material is a thermosetting resin which is flexible at room temperature and hardens at a temperature of 120°-180° C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The reinforcing material of claim 6, wherein the resin material is adapted to be directly bonded to the panel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The reinforcing material of claim 6, wherein the resin material is adapted to be bonded to the panel by way of an adhesive material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
The reinforcing material of claim 2, wherein the expandable material is a low-density, gas-cell forming resin which expands to a predetermined degree at a temperature of 120°-180° C. prior to the hardening of the resin material and is heat proof at that temperature.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The reinforcing material of claim 2, further including a reinforcing material fixed to the outer surface of the resin material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
The reinforcing material of claim 4, wherein the panel is an automobile door outer panel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The reinforcing material of claim 4, wherein the resin material is a thermosetting resin which is flexible at room temperature and hardens at a temperature of 120°-180° C.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
The reinforcing material of claim 4, wherein the resin material is adapted to be directly bonded to the panel.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The reinforcing material of claim 6, wherein the resin material is adapted to be bonded to the panel by way of an adhesive material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
43 words
The reinforcing material of claim 4, wherein the expandable material is a low-density, gas-cell forming resin which expands to a predetermined degree at a temperature of 120°-180° C. prior to the hardening of the resin material and is heat proof at that temperature.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
The reinforcing material of claim 4 further including a reinforcing material fixed to the outer surface of the resin material.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
171 words
A material for reinforcing a panel comprising: a strip of expandable material which has not yet expanded; a sheet of thermosetting resin material which has not yet hardened; the expandable material being affixed to a central portion of the resin material so that the edges of the resin material are exposed; one surface of the expandable material being exposed to contact the panel; the exposed surface of the expandable material being flush with the surface of the edges of the resin material, before the reinforcing material is attached to the panel; the central portion of the resin material being formed with a recess corresponding to the shape of the expanding material; the expandable material being housed within the recess so that the surfaces of the expandable material and the resin material which contact the panel are flat; the edges of the resin material being thicker than the central portion thereof by the thickness of the expandable material so that the surfaces of the reinforcing material parallel to the panel are flat.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
171 words
A material for reinforcing a panel comprising: a strip of expandable material which has not yet expanded; a sheet of thermosetting resin material which has not yet hardened; the expandable material being affixed to a central portion of the resin material so that the edges of the resin material are exposed; one surface of the expandable material being exposed to contact the panel; the exposed surface of the expandable material being flush with the surface of the edges of the resin material, before the reinforcing material is attached to the panel; the central portion of the resin material being formed with a recess corresponding to the shape of the expanding material; the expandable material being housed within the recess so that the surfaces of the expandable material and the resin material which contact the panel are flat; the edges of the resin material being thicker than the central portion thereof by the thickness of the expandable material so that the surfaces of the reinforcing material parallel to the panel are flat.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3873407A
Cited
GB2061196A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-08-15 | 1987-02-14 | 1987-08-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-08-15 | 1991-02-14 | 1991-08-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-08-15 | 1995-02-14 | 1995-08-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |