Some vehicle roof panels call for a glass reinforced plastic shell made of one or a plurality of pieces. Vehicles are sometimes provided with a sleeper compartment, which requires the attachment of components to the roof panels. Vehicle parts that are mounted to the roof panel in sleeper compartments may include interior trim panels, HVAC ducting, cabinets, and bunks.
In some constructions, after the roof panel is molded, the roof panel is then drilled to attach a backing plate to the roof panel. The backing plate is mounted to the roof panel with rivets, and once mounted, vehicle components can be attached to the backing plate. Drilling of the roof panel can result in some dimensional variation in the size of the resulting holes and in the placement of the holes in the roof panel. Such dimensional variation can result in misalignment or installation problems with the backing panel.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds