Patent ID: 6581708
Filing Date: 2003-06-24
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
A vehicle, comprising:(a) one or more relatively strong frame structures to which a large percentage of other components of said vehicle are engaged and from which a large percentage of other components of said vehicle derive support; (b) a suspension system to which said one or more frame structures are engaged and from which said one or more frame structures derive support; (c) an operator cabin that is engaged to and supported by one or more of said one or more frame structures; (d) an engine that is engaged to and supported by one or more of said one or more frame structures; (e) wherein said suspension system comprises one or more wheels that are disposed near said engine of said vehicle; (f) panel-support components that are engaged directly or indirectly to one or more of said one or more frame structures of said vehicle; (g) an engine compartment splash panel; (h) wherein said engine compartment splash panel and said panel-support components comprise panel mounting structure which comprises two or more complimentary pairs of panel-locating features; (i) wherein each of said two or more complimentary pairs of panel-locating features comprises a locating feature that is mounted to and/or defined by said engine compartment splash panel and a complimentary locating feature that is mounted to and/or defined by said panel-support components; (j) wherein said engine compartment splash panel comprises a substantially rigid portion that constitutes a majority of said engine compartment splash panel; (k) wherein a majority of said two or more locating features that are mounted to and/or defined by said engine compartment splash panel are rigidly mounted to or defined by said substantially rigid portion of said engine compartment splash panel and therefore have fixed positions and orientations relative to one another; (l) wherein said panel-support components and said locating features that are mounted to and/or defined by said panel-support components are constructed and engaged to one another in such a manner that any locating features that are mounted to or defined by said panel-support components have fixed positions and orientations relative to one another; (m) wherein said locating features that are mounted to and/or defined by said engine compartment splash panel and said locating features that are mounted to and/or defined by said panel-support components and that are complimentary to said locating features that are mounted to and/or defined by said engine compartment splash panel are engaged to one another in such a manner that said engine compartment splash panel is rigidly mounted to said vehicle in an in-service position substantially between one of said wheels of said vehicle that is disposed near said engine and said engine of said vehicle; (n) said two or more complimentary pairs of panel-locating features of said panel-mounting structure include one or more complimentary pairs of a spring clip and a clip engagement structure that are engaged to one another; (o) a spring clip of each of said one or more complimentary pairs of a spring clip and a clip engagement structure is mounted to or defined by either said engine compartment splash panel or said panel-support components; and (p) a clip engagement structure of each of said one or more complimentary pairs of a spring clip and a clip engagement structure is mounted to or defined by whichever of said engine compartment splash panel and said panel-support components said spring clip to which it is engaged is not mounted to or defined by.