Vehicle body structure

1. A vehicle body structure comprising:

a vehicle body panel including an interior panel and an exterior panel that are fixed to one another, with the exterior panel including a base surface extending along a peripheral edge of the vehicle body panel and a mounting surface that is raised relative to an adjacent portion of the base surface, the mounting surface defining an aperture that extends to an opposite concave surface of the exterior panel, and with the base surface of the exterior panel abutting the interior panel along a majority of a perimeter of the mounting surface;

a trim panel coupled to the vehicle body panel; and

a first mounting arrangement coupling the trim panel to the vehicle body panel, the first mounting arrangement being engaged with a periphery of the aperture through the mounting surface to at least partially retain the trim panel to the vehicle body panel in an installed position.

2. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , further comprising

a window panel disposed on the vehicle body panel such that the window panel covers an opening defined by the vehicle body panel,

the trim panel extending along a peripheral edge portion of the window panel.

3. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein

the first mounting arrangement includes a pin with a shaft portion and a grommet that engages the aperture and defines a mounting opening, the pin being mounted to the trim panel, the grommet being mounted to the vehicle body panel, the shaft portion of the pin being engaged with a periphery of the mounting opening to at least partially retain the trim panel to the vehicle body panel in the installed position.

4. The vehicle body structure according to claim 3 , wherein

the shaft portion of the pin has an elongated cross section, the shaft portion of the pin being oriented such that a lengthwise direction of the elongated cross section is arranged substantially parallel to a peripheral side edge of the trim panel that is nearest the shaft portion of the pin.

5. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , further comprising

a second mounting arrangement fixedly coupling the trim panel to the vehicle body panel, the first and second mounting arrangements coupling the trim panel to the vehicle body panel at first and second locations, respectively, the second location being spaced from the first location,

the first and second mounting arrangements being configured relative to the trim panel and the vehicle body panel such that the trim panel requires a nonlinear installation path with respect to the vehicle body during installation of the trim panel to the vehicle body panel via the first and second mounting arrangements.

6. The vehicle body structure according to claim 5 , wherein

the first mounting arrangement includes a pin with a shaft portion and a grommet that engages the aperture and defines a mounting opening, the pin being mounted to the trim panel, the grommet being mounted to the vehicle body panel, the shaft portion of the pin being engaged with a periphery of the mounting opening to at least partially retain the trim panel to the vehicle body panel in the installed position.

7. The vehicle body structure according to claim 6 , wherein

an outline of the mounting opening in the grommet has an elongated shape, the mounting opening of the grommet being oriented such that the shaft portion of the pin moves along a lengthwise direction of the mounting opening of the grommet during installation of the trim panel to the vehicle body panel via the first and second mounting arrangements.

8. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein

the first mounting arrangement includes a pin with a shaft portion, the shaft portion having an elongated cross section.

9. The vehicle body structure according to claim 8 , wherein

a lengthwise direction of the elongated cross section of the shaft portion is arranged substantially parallel to a peripheral side edge of the trim panel that is nearest the shaft portion of the pin.

10. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein

the mounting surface of the vehicle body panel is angularly arranged with respect to the base surface of the exterior panel in a non-parallel manner.

11. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , further comprising

a window panel disposed on the vehicle body panel,

the trim panel extending along respective peripheral edges of the vehicle body panel and the window panel.

12. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , further comprising

a second mounting arrangement coupling the trim panel to the vehicle body panel at a location on the base surface of the exterior panel, the second mounting arrangement being spaced apart from the first mounting arrangement.

13. The vehicle body structure according to claim 12 , wherein

the second mounting arrangement includes a standoff that protrudes from an interior surface of the trim panel such that a distal end of the standoff is aligned with a distal end of the first mounting arrangement in a longitudinal direction of the trim panel.

14. The vehicle body structure according to claim 13 , wherein

the second mounting arrangement includes a fastener that passes through an additional aperture through both the interior panel and the base surface of the exterior panel to engage the standoff of the second mounting arrangement.

15. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein

the first mounting arrangement is located at a tapering end portion of the trim panel.

16. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein

the trim panel includes a primary portion and a secondary portion, the first mounting arrangement being located on the secondary portion.

17. The vehicle body structure according to claim 16 , wherein

the secondary portion meets the primary portion at an end of the secondary portion that is opposite a tapering end portion of the trim panel.