Abstract: A washer and retained nut assembly has a washer with a retaining flange and a positioning cavity and a nut received in the washer. The nut has a shoulder received in the positioning cavity with a top surface of the shoulder engaging a lower surface of the retaining flange in a loose condition of the washer and nut. The nut further has an engagement surface contacting a receiving surface in the washer in an engaged position of the washer and nut. The nut further has a peripheral surface engaging a blocking surface in the washer with the nut and washer in a maximum offset angle orientation between the washer and nut in the engaged position.

Abstract: A panel for a vehicle and a method for manufacturing the panel are provided. One panel has two sides forming a corner having a profile that is substantially non-orthogonal and a substructure is provided having a protrusion extending from a body of the substructure towards a surface of the panel. The protrusion has a profile extending along an edge thereof that substantially matches the profile of the corner of the panel such that the protrusion and the corner of the panel form a gap therebetween when the panel is mounted to the substructure.

Abstract: A washer and retained nut assembly has a washer with a retaining flange and a positioning cavity and a nut received in the washer. The nut has a shoulder received in the positioning cavity with a top surface of the shoulder engaging a lower surface of the retaining flange in a loose condition of the washer and nut. The nut further has an engagement surface contacting a receiving surface in the washer in an engaged position of the washer and nut. The nut further has a peripheral surface engaging a blocking surface in the washer with the nut and washer in a maximum offset angle orientation between the washer and nut in the engaged position.

Abstract: A panel for a vehicle and a method for manufacturing the panel are provided. One panel has two sides forming a corner having a profile that is substantially non-orthogonal and a substructure is provided having a protrusion extending from a body of the substructure towards a surface of the panel.

Abstract: An access door assembly for joining to a structure. The access door assembly has an access door with at least one access door nonlinear edge, a support structure with at least one support structure nonlinear edge, and a doubler element attached to an interior side of the support structure. The support structure nonlinear edge is designed to interlace with the access door nonlinear edge to form an access door assembly for joining to a structure, the access door assembly having an interlaced nonlinear edge interface. A diameter of the doubler element of the access door assembly is preferably reduced as compared to a diameter of a doubler element of an access door assembly having a linear or circular edge, such that the reduced diameter preferably results in an overall reduced weight of the access door assembly and the structure to which the access door assembly is joined.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the disclosure, there is provided a panel assembly for joining to a structure and method of making the same. The assembly has a first panel element having at least one first panel nonlinear edge, and has a second panel element having at least one second panel nonlinear edge, wherein the second panel nonlinear edge is designed to interlace with the first panel nonlinear edge to form a panel assembly with interlaced panel edgebands for joining to a structure. A width of the interlaced panel edgebands is reduced as compared to a width of adjacent panel edgebands formed by adjacent panel elements having linear edges, and the reduced width results in an overall reduced weight of the panel assembly and the structure to which the panel assembly is joined.

Abstract: In another embodiment of the disclosure, there is provided an access door assembly for joining to a structure. The access door assembly has an access door with at least one access door nonlinear edge. The access door assembly further has a support structure with at least one support structure nonlinear edge. The access door assembly further has a doubler element attached to an interior side of the support structure. The support structure nonlinear edge is designed to interlace with the access door nonlinear edge to form an access door assembly for joining to a structure, the access door assembly having an interlaced nonlinear edge interface. A diameter of the doubler element of the access door assembly is preferably reduced as compared to a diameter of a doubler element of an access door assembly having a linear or circular edge, such that the reduced diameter preferably results in an overall reduced weight of the access door assembly and the structure to which the access door assembly is joined.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the disclosure, there is provided a panel assembly for joining to a structure and method of making the same. The assembly has a first panel element having at least one first panel nonlinear edge, and has a second panel element having at least one second panel nonlinear edge, wherein the second panel nonlinear edge is designed to interlace with the first panel nonlinear edge to form a panel assembly with interlaced panel edgebands for joining to a structure. A width of the interlaced panel edgebands is reduced as compared to a width of adjacent panel edgebands formed by adjacent panel elements having linear edges, and the reduced width results in an overall reduced weight of the panel assembly and the structure to which the panel assembly is joined.