Reinforced textile wheel arch liners

Abstract

The reinforced textile wheel arch liner includes a reinforced textile wheel arch liner comprising a base layer and a reinforcement layer. The base layer and the reinforcement layer at least partially comprise a thermoformable textile material and are disposed on and bonded to at least a portion of the base layer. In some examples, the base layer and reinforcement layer are molded separately. In some further examples, the reinforcement layer can be formed in a single mold as part of the base layer, which would otherwise be cut away.

Description

technical field [0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wheel well liners for vehicles, and more particularly describes a wheel well liner constructed at least in part of a thermoformable textile material and including a reinforcement portion. Background technique [0002] The wheel arch liner fits in the vehicle's wheel well below the fender and, from the perspective of an observer looking at the wheel well, extends above and behind the wheel. The wheel arch liner has two main functions: First, it primarily protects the interior and adjacent components of the body from exposure to high speed dirt, debris and road surfaces that can be picked up and thrown by the wheels of a moving vehicle hazard. Similarly, wheel arch liners can be used to contain debris in the event of a flat tire. In the absence of wheel arch liners, when metal or hard plastic body parts are struck by solid debris, the debris can at best create an annoying, loud thud, or at worst damage the bo...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, to date, textile materials have lacked sufficient stiffness and rigidity for use in wheel arch liners (which require durable stiffness)

Furthermore, textiles are generally single-layer thickness, thus presenting a challenge where additional structural stiffness is required only in certain areas

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