Patent ID: 8123284

Claim:
A vehicle body component having matingly coupled first and second body components, each body component comprising: a body having a male dovetail portion disposed at an end portion of the body including: a first surface, a second surface disposed opposite the first surface, first and second joint surfaces that extend from the first surface toward the second surface, the first and second joint surfaces extending substantially along first and second planes, respectively, that intersect with each other, a connecting surface extending between the first and second joint surfaces, and a channel for receiving an adhesive, the channel being disposed inside the male dovetail portion such that the channel is a through hole forming a first hole disposed in the first surface and a second hole disposed opposite the first hole, wherein the channel is disposed between the first and second joint surfaces and spaced apart from the connecting surface, and an indentation that is spaced apart from the first and second joint surfaces and that extends from the connecting surface and within the second surface toward the first surface, wherein the second hole is disposed in the indentation; and a female dovetail portion disposed along the end portion of the body adjacent to the first joint surface, the female dovetail portion forming a recess complementary-shaped with the male dovetail portion to matingly receive the male dovetail portion of the other body component and having an end surface and a protrusion extending from the end surface that is spaced apart from the first joint surface and the second surface which is complementary-shaped to be matingly received in the indentation of the other body component such that an adhesive received with the channel bonds the protrusion within the corresponding indentation.