Body mounting system for model vehicles

Abstract

A body mounting system for model vehicles that can be adapted and applied to many different types of model vehicles and model bodies. Additionally, the system provides a mounting system using a snap-fit connection to allow rapid mounting and dismounting of body shell components.

1 . A model vehicle comprising 
 a vehicle frame,    a mounting member coupled to the vehicle frame and arranged to extend away from the vehicle frame,    a body component arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the vehicle frame, and    a body-mount fixture including a connector post and a body support flange mounted on the connector post for movement relative to the connector post, the body support flange being arranged to mate with an inner wall of the body component arranged to face toward the vehicle frame, the connector post being coupled to the mounting member to anchor the connector post in an anchored position relative to the vehicle frame and retain the body component in a predetermined position relative to the vehicle frame.    
   
   
       2 . The model vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the connector post is made of a flexible material and configured to provide means for bending away from an external force applied to the body component and relative to the vehicle frame so that the body support flange un-mates from the inner wall of the body component.  
   
   
       3 . The model vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein a first end of the connector post is formed to include a hole and the connector post extends into said hole.  
   
   
       4 . The model vehicle of  claim 3 , wherein a second end of the connector post includes a ball that is received in a socket formed in the body support flange to establish a universal joint between the connector post and the body support flange.  
   
   
       5 . The model vehicle of  claim 3 , wherein a first end of the connector post is coupled to the mounting member, an opposite second end of the connector post is coupled to the body support flange and a middle portion of the connector post is formed to include the hole and is arranged to extend between the first and second ends and formed to include a series of spaced-apart trimming marks to provide means for receiving a knife blade to facilitate shortening of the connector post to create a new first end thereof formed to include an opening into the hole and receiving the mounting member therein.  
   
   
       6 . The model vehicle of  claim 2 , further comprising adhesive means for retaining the body support flange in mating relation to the inner wall of the body component so that the body support flange separates from the body component without breaking the body component during bending movement of the connector post relative to the vehicle frame.  
   
   
       7 . The model vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein the body support flange includes a post receiver coupled to the connector post and a plurality of flexible petal-shaped mounting plates arranged to extend radially outwardly from the post receiver to mate with a surface on the inner wall of the body component.  
   
   
       8 . The model vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein the body support flange is made of a thermoplastic elastomer having a hardness of about shore 50 D to 80 D as measured on a shore durometer to form flexible petal-shaped mounting plates.  
   
   
       9 . The model vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein a first end of the connector post is formed to include a hole and the connector post extends into said hole.  
   
   
       10 . The model vehicle of  claim 9 , wherein a second end of the connector post includes a ball that is received in a socket formed in the body support flange to establish a universal joint between the connector post and the body support flange.  
   
   
       11 . The model vehicle of  claim 9 , wherein the vehicle frame is formed to include an aperture, the mounting member is a threaded stud, and the connector post includes internal threads located in the hole and configured to mate with external threads formed on the threaded stud.  
   
   
       12 . The model vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle frame is formed to include an aperture, the mounting member is arranged to extend through the aperture to form a first stud on one side of the vehicle frame and a second stud on an opposite side of the vehicle frame, and the connector post is coupled to the first stud to locate the body-mount fixture on the one side of the vehicle frame, and further comprising an auxiliary body-mount fixture lying on the opposite side of the vehicle frame and including an auxiliary connector post coupled to the second and an auxiliary body support flange mounted on the auxiliary connector post for movement relative to the auxiliary connector post and arranged to mate with another body component located on the opposite side of the vehicle frame to retain the another body component in a predetermined position relative to the vehicle frame.  
   
   
       13 . An apparatus for mounting a body to a model vehicle, the apparatus comprising 
 a model vehicle including a vehicle frame,    a body component configured to cover a portion of the model vehicle frame and formed to include an inner wall facing toward the vehicle frame, and    a body mounting system comprising a connector post and a body support flange, wherein the connector post has a first end retained in a fixed position relative to the vehicle frame and a second end located adjacent to the body component, the body support flange is mounted on the second end of the connector post for movement relative to the connector pot to orient the body support flange in a predetermined position relative to the inner wall of the body component, and the body support flange is coupled to the inner wall to support the body component in a predetermined position relative to the vehicle frame.    
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the connector post has a connector post reference axis and the body support flange has a flange reference plane forming a pivot angle therebetween and wherein the connector post and the body support flange are pivotably connected to pivot about a pivot axis transverse to the connector post reference axis to support the body component at a predetermined pivot angle relative to the vehicle frame.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the connector post and body support flange cooperate to cause the pivot angle to vary between about positive  30  degrees and negative  30  degrees during movement of the body support flange relative to the connector post.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the connector post and body support flange cooperate to establish a universal joint allowing the body support flange to pivot in any direction.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the second end of the connector post terminates in a spherical ball, and the spherical ball and spherical socket cooperate to form a universal joint between the connector post and the body support flange.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the body support flange is fixedly coupled to the body component and the body component can be separated from the structural frame by uncoupling the body support flange from the connector post.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein a socket portion of the body support flange expands elastically to accommodate entry of the connector post therein and contracts after entry of the connector post therein, thereby establishing a snap-fit connection between the connector post and the body support flange.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the body component comprises a thin shell having a first inside surface on one side of the thin shell facing toward the vehicle frame and a second outside surface adjacent to the first surface across a thickness of the thin shell on the opposite side of the thin shell and facing away from the vehicle frame, and the body support flange is secured to the first inside surface.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the body support flange is secured to the thin shell as by an adhesive layer so that the second outside surface is continuous and undisturbed by application of the body support flange to the first inside surface.  
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the body support flange is made of a flexible plastics material which is conformable to the surface contours of the body component.  
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the plastics material is one of nylon, acetal, polyurethane, and polycarbonate and has a hardness of 50 D to 80 D durometer.  
   
   
       24 . A universal body mounting kit having component parts capable of being assembled in the field to mount body components of a model vehicle to a structural frame of the model vehicle, the kit comprising the combination of 
 a set of body-mount fixtures, each body-mount fixture including a connector post and a body support flange mounted for movement on the connector post and arranged to contact an inner wall of a certain body component included in the model vehicle,    a post retainer provided for each body-mount fixture and associated with the structural frame of the model vehicle and coupled to a companion one of the connector posts to retain the companion one of the connector posts in a fixed position relative to the structural frame, and    attachment means for coupling each body support flange to a companion inner wall of the certain body component included in the model vehicle.    
   
   
       25 . The mounting kit of  claim 24 , wherein the attachment means includes an adhesive system providing means for securing the socket flange to the interior surface of a body component without disturbing the visible exterior surface of the body component.  
   
   
       26 . The mounting kit of  claim 24 , wherein at least one post and at least one body support flange mates in a snap-fit connection allowing assembly and disassembly of the post and body support flange  
   
   
       27 . The mounting kit of  claim 24 , wherein at least one post and at least one body support flange cooperate to form a universal joint pivotable about a pivot axis.  
   
   
       28 . An apparatus for mounting a body to a model vehicle, the apparatus comprising 
 a model vehicle including a vehicle frame,    a body component configured to cover a portion of the model vehicle frame, and    a body mounting system for connecting the body component to the vehicle frame during normal operation of the model vehicle, the body mounting system comprising a first part connected to the vehicle frame and a second part connected to the body component and receptive to the first part, and wherein one of the first part and second part are semi-flexible so the first and second parts can be joined together in a snap-fit connection to hold the body component in spaced-apart relation to the vehicle frame.    
   
   
       29 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the second part is fixedly secured to the interior surface of a body shell of the model vehicle.  
   
   
       30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the model vehicle has length, width, and height dimensions and the length dimension is the longest of said three dimensions and wherein the model vehicle has a longitudinal body axis extending along the length of the model vehicle from a first terminal end of the model vehicle to a second terminal end of the model vehicle, and wherein the thin shell has a thickness that is about 0.0005 ({fraction (5/10,000)}) to 0.001 ({fraction (1/100)}) times the length of the model vehicle.  
   
   
       31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the body shell is made of a semi-flexible plastic material including one of polycarbonate, polyester, and ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene).  
   
   
       32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the thin shell is formed in a manufacturing process including one of vacuum forming and blow forming.  
   
   
       33 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the first and second parts form a universal joint capable of pivoting through a pivot angle of about plus or minus 30 degrees.  
   
   
       34 . An apparatus for mounting a body to a model vehicle, the apparatus comprising 
 a model vehicle including a vehicle frame formed to include a threaded mounting member,    a body component configured to cover a portion of the model vehicle frame, and    a body mounting system including a connector post removably coupled to the mounting member, a mounting flange coupled to the body component, and a socket coupled to the mounting flange on one side and to the connector post on another side for pivotable movement of the socket relative to the connector post.    
   
   
       35 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the mounting flange includes radially outwardly extending mounting petals arranged to deflect relative to one another to mate with an irregular surface of the body component.  
   
   
       36 . An apparatus for mounting a body to a model vehicle, the apparatus comprising 
 a model vehicle including a vehicle frame including a threaded mounting member extending through an aperture formed in the vehicle frame, a left-side body-mount fixture including a connector post and a body support flange, and a right-side body-mount fixture including a connector post and a body support flange,    means for removably coupling the body to each of the left-side and right-side body-mount fixture, and    joint means for coupling each body support flange to a companion one of the connector posts so that each body support flange is able to pivot about an axis formed by a companion mounting member and connector post.    
   
   
       37 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the joint means includes a ball-shaped end portion formed on the connector post and a socket portion formed on the body support flange to expand elastically to accommodate entry of the ball-shaped end portion therein and contract after entry of the ball-shaped end portion therein to establish a snap-fit connection between the ball-shaped end portion and the body support flange.  
   
   
       38 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the joint means includes a ball-shaped end portion formed on the connector post and a socket portion formed on the body support flange and the ball-shaped end portion and body support flange cooperate to establish a universal joint therebetween.