Vehicles and vehicle roof structures including front header extensions
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorsPeter C. J. Piper, Kuo Sun
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle may include a pair of roof side rails that extend in a vehicle longitudinal direction, a front header that includes opposite outboard ends that span between the pair of roof side rails, and a front header extension coupled to and extending from one of the outboard ends of the front header. The front header extension may include a center emboss structure that extends outwardly from a base at a pair of center emboss ridgelines and the center emboss structure may be connected to one of the pair of roof side rails.
Claims19
A vehicle comprising:
- a pair of roof side rails that extend in a vehicle longitudinal direction;
- a front header comprising opposite outboard ends that spans between the pair of roof side rails;
- and
- a front header extension coupled to and extending from one of the outboard ends of the front header, the front header extension comprising a center emboss structure that extends outwardly from a base at a pair of center emboss ridgelines, the center emboss structure connected to one of the pair of roof side rails.
A front header extension for a front header assembly comprising:
- a base;
- a center emboss structure that extends outwardly from the base at a pair of center emboss ridgelines;
- and
- a pair of side structures that extend outwardly at sides of the base at respective side ridgelines;
- wherein
- the front header extension is configured to couple to and extends from an outboard end of a front header and the center emboss structure and each of the side structures of the pair of side structures are configured to connect to one of a pair of roof side rails, wherein
- the center emboss structure further comprises a raised portion extending outwardly from the center emboss structure toward the one of the pair of roof side rails.
A method of connecting a front header to a roof side rail, the method comprising:
- aligning a header connecting portion of a front header extension to an outboard end of the front header;
- aligning a rail connecting portion of the front header extension to the roof side rail;
- and
- welding a center emboss structure of the front header extension to the roof side rail, the center emboss structure extending outwardly from a base at a pair of center emboss ridgelines.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.