Patent ID: 7686385

Claim:
A vehicle skirt panel assembly comprising: a flexible skirt panel; and means for mounting the skirt panel to the vehicle such that when the skirt panel is mounted to the vehicle the skirt panel projects below the side of the vehicle and the skirt panel can move relative to the vehicle to allow for thermal expansion and contraction of the skirt panel without deforming the skirt panel; wherein the means for mounting the skirt panel to the vehicle includes a fastener and a fastener hole in the skirt panel; wherein the fastener cooperates with the fastener hole so that the skirt panel is loosely clamped against the side of the vehicle; and wherein the means for mounting the skirt panel includes a strut mounted between the vehicle and the skirt panel, wherein the strut is deformable to absorb an impact to the exterior of the skirt panel and is reformable by hand to allow the skirt panel to be returned substantially to an original position of the skirt panel before the impact.