Abstract:
Plastic-metal hybrid materials are included in the construction of highway tractor sleeper sides and back panel assemblies. Sleeper panels are traditionally constructed of two elements, the panel assemblies and the interior trim. A molded panel becomes both the interior of the structure and the decorative interior surface. This allows interior components to be directly mounted to the integral structural panels. The resulting sleeper will have stronger engagement to the mounted components such as cabinetry as well as part number reduction.

Description:
[0001]    This is a patent issuing from a non-provisional patent application, which claims the priority of provisional patent application serial No. 60/440,998, filed Jan. 17, 2003. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    Sleeper boxes whether integral to the cab or separate from the cab of a highway tractor have traditionally been designed as structures that have their own inherent integrity. These structures are then painted and the interior trim and fitments installed. The purpose of the sleeper is to provide space for the installation of one or two bunk beds, together with a variety of cabinetry for storage. The use of a sleeper on a truck allows the driver to rest and sleep when he/she is on the road and away from home.  
           [0003]    Being a fundamental part of the cab structure, the sleeper section has to meet various performance requirements associated with the proper operation of the vehicle. These include but not are not limited to the minimization of noise from panel vibration, the ability to withstand loads when tested in accordance with SAE recommended practices and the insulation of the interior space from excessive heat or cold.  
           [0004]    The interior trim provides a decorative surface to the interior of the sleeper body and is also used as part of the noise and heat attenuation system. In order to provide the appropriate levels of dimensional and cosmetic quality the parts for the sleeper structure and the interior are manufactured using high quality tooling that is also costly to manufacture and maintain.  
           [0005]    This invention entails making vehicle sleeper panels out of plastic-metal hybrid panels and installing these lightweight and strong panels into vehicles. This will allow sleeper trim components to be installed directly to the integral structural portions of the new panels. The invention involves a new use for an old technology in the use of the plastic-metal hybrid panels.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0006]    The object of the invention is to provide a new lightweight panel that may be used in the construction of sleeper compartments for highway tractors. The invention covers the adaptation of pre-existing technologies for plastic-metal hybrid materials to the construction of sleeper sides and back panel assemblies. Sleeper panels are traditionally constructed of two elements, the panel assemblies and the interior trim. This invention uses a molded panel to become both the interior of the structure and the decorative interior surface. This will allow interior components to be directly mounted to the integral structural panels. The resulting sleeper will have stronger engagement to the mounted components such as cabinetry as well as part number reduction.  
           [0007]    One of the existing plastic-metal hybrid technology processes that allows for implementation of this invention are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,190,803 and 5,842,265, which are incorporated by reference into this application. Other plastic-metal hybrid materials exist and also may apply in the implementation to this invention. These previous processes have been described as hybrid injection-molding technology and incorporate metal reinforcements into the assembly at the time of molding. The normal usage of these prior processes has only been in applications that are not critical for appearance. The use on a sleeper interior will be a new application that has significant quality and appearance requirements. One embodiment may involve the use of a metal structural panel for the panel assembly with injection molded plastic ribbing for additional strength. The interior panel or inner wall of the sleeper may also be integrally injection molded to bond to the interior panel assembly. The use of the hybrid injection-molding process allows the use of simple metal reinforcements that are hidden inside the body cavity and can, therefore, be tooled simply. The assembly may also incorporate molded foam that fills the cavity between the inner surface and the outer body panel providing the required thermal and acoustic insulation for sleeper compartment. These assemblies may be attached to each other and to the floor structure after paint using a mechanical fastener and/or adhesive.  
       
    
    
     DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective of a mobile vehicle such as a heavy-duty truck vehicle containing a sleeper compartment such as the type that may use at least one embodiment of this invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a partial cutaway view of the vehicle of FIG. 1.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a further cutaway view of the vehicle of FIG. 1 providing a view of one of the embodiments of the invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an interior panel assembly of the embodiment of the invention shown in the vehicle of FIG. 1.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a top down view of the panel of FIG. 4.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 is a partial side view of the panel of FIG. 4.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a second embodiment of an integral interior structural panel and interior trim panel along with an exterior panel and interior trim cabinets made in accordance with the invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 8 is an assembly view of the sleeper portion of a mobile vehicle.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 9 is a cutaway vertical section of the integrated reinforcement and inner molding of the vehicle of FIG. 8.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 10A is a top down cutaway view of the interface between the integrated reinforcement and inner molding and a back assembly of the sleeper of FIG. 9.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 10B is a top down cutaway view of the interface between the integrated reinforcement and inner molding and a transition section to the cab of the sleeper of FIG. 9.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 11 is an exploded view of an additional embodiment of an integrated reinforcement and interior trim panel made in accordance with the invention.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]    The integrated interior side reinforcement and interior trim panel of this invention may be used on the vehicle  101  shown in FIGS.  1  to  3 . The vehicle  101  has a chassis  102  with a driver&#39;s cab  103  engaged. If the vehicle  101  is an over the road type vehicle in which the drivers may need on the road rest, the vehicle will have a sleeper compartment  104  engaged to the cab  103  and chassis  102 . The sleeper  104  has an integrated interior side reinforcement and interior trim panel  119 . There is a panel in a similar shape on the opposite side of the sleeper  104 . Interior cabinets  118  or furniture such as sleeping bunks may be mounted directly to the integrated reinforcement and interior trim panel  119 .  
         [0021]    The integrated reinforcement and interior trim panel  119  is shown in FIGS.  4  to  6 . The panel includes a metal interior structural panel or shell  122  that is pressed into a shape that includes structural sides  123 . There may be a support channel  127 . There are plastic injection molded Z-shaped reinforcing and support ribs  121  that ideally are injected through holes in the metal structural panel  122 . The ribs  121  are formed in zigzag pattern about the reinforcement and trim panel  119 . Where there is a support channel  127 , the reinforcing and support ribs  121  may be engaged along and across the support channel  127  with engagement at discrete engagement locations  128  along the support channel  127 . These discrete engagement locations  128  may correspond to plastic injection points for the injection mold. The metal of the interior structural panel may be zinc-coated steel sheets and/or steel sheets provided with a primer and optionally adhesion-promoter, untreated, anodized aluminum sheets and/or aluminum sheets provided with a primer and optionally an adhesion-promoter are particular suitable. Partially crystalline plastics, such as glass-fiber reinforced polyamide 6, polyamide 6,6, polybutylene terephthalate, polyphenylene sulphide or propylene are suitable as plastics for injecting in the reinforcing ribs  121 . This design provides strength to the metal interior structural panel  122  without the additional weight that a traditional separate metal reinforcement would have provided. Weight is an important issue in tractor-trailers in applications where the vehicles operate at their legal limit. If 80 to 100 pounds may be removed from each sleeper side panel, then the driver may carry an additional 160 to 200 pounds load and since some contract payments are determined on the basis of weight, the use of this invention may save drivers and fleet managers considerable amounts of money on an annual basis. The reinforcement and trim panel may also include an integrally injection molded interior trim surface  125 . Cabinets  118  and other sleeper furnishings may be mounted to the interior trim surface  125  given the strength emboldened upon the reinforcement and trim panel  119  from the reinforcing ribs  121  and metal interior structural panel or shell  122 .  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a second embodiment of an integral interior structural and interior trim panel  219  along with an exterior panel  211  and interior trim cabinets  218 A and  218 B. The exterior panel  211  may contain openings  231  for either windows or access areas. The structural and interior trim panel  219  needs to have corresponding openings  231 A. Under the prior art the extra supports in the structural panel would have been made of metal and there would have been a significant increase in panel weight. In this invention, there is a significant weight reduction due to the use of plastic-metal hybrid materials. The structural and interior trim panel  219  has a generally hollow sheet metal support frame  223  that runs around the sides and upper portions of the panel as well as adjacent to the openings  231 A. There are support channels  227 A,  227 B,  227 C,  227 D, and  227 E. The support channels  227 A,  227 B,  227 C,  227 D, and  227 E contain reinforcing and support rib matrixes  221 A,  221 B,  221 C,  221 D, and  221 E. These support rib matrixes  221 A,  221 B,  221 C,  221 D, and  221 E may be made of zigzagged plastic material that provides bracing and support to the support channels and the structural and interior trim panel  219 . The structural and interior trim panel  219  may include an interior trim surface  225  that provides a high quality inner wall surface for the sleeper  104 . Cabinetry or other interior furnishings  218 A and  218 B may be mounted directly to the inner surface  225  of the structural and interior trim panel  219  using conventional fasteners  226  through mounting holes  226 A. Once again the metal and plastic of the structural and interior trim panel  219  may be formed together using a prior art plastic-metal hybrid injection molding technology.  
         [0023]    Referring to FIGS. 8, 9,  10 A, and  10 B, the invention entails integrating the side reinforcement piece  319 A with the side inner molding trim piece  319 B. The side outer panel  311  would be engaged to the integral side reinforcement piece  319 A and side inner molding trim piece  319 B. The sleeper  104  could be assembled with the side outer panel  311  and the integral side reinforcement piece  319 A and side inner molding trim piece  319 B being engaged to both the sleeper floor assembly  321  as well as the sleeper back assembly  322 . Additionally, the design may include integration of a foam exterior  339  on the outer side of the reinforcement piece  319 A. This foam  339  on the integrated sidepiece will provide sound dampening as well as thermal insulation for the sleeper unit  104 . The integration of the foam  339  to the outer portion of the reinforcement  319 A allows structural support for this sound dampener and thermal insulator. The integration allows single piece installation during sleeper  104  manufacture.  
         [0024]    Another embodiment of an integrated reinforcement and interior trim panel  419  is shown in FIG. 11. The reinforcement and trim panel  419  has an inner trim surface panel  425  and a crosshatched rib matrix of alternate direction ribs  421 A and  421 B. The reinforcement and trim panel  419  and alternate direction ribs  421 A and  421 B are comprised of a plastic. There are also integrated metal support pieces  423 A and  423 B and window or opening frames  431 A and  431 B engaged to the reinforcement and trim panel  419  and the alternate direction ribs  421 A and  421 B. The integrated metal support pieces  423 A and  423 B and window or opening frames  431 A and  431 B may be engaged to the plastic coating by an injection molding process such as a plastic-metal hybrid process.  
         [0025]    As described above, the sleeper panel design of this invention and the vehicle  101  with the sleeper panel installed provide a number of advantages, some of which have been described above and others of which are inherent in the invention. Also modifications may be proposed to the sleeper panel design of this invention and the vehicle  101  with the sleeper panel installed without departing from the teachings herein.