Vehicle roof structure

A vehicle roof structure comprising:

• a left and right pair of roof side rails configuring part of a roof section of a vehicle body, wherein the roof side rails are supported by a center pillar configuring part of the vehicle body and extend along a vehicle front-rear direction;
• a roof reinforcement portion formed of fiber reinforced plastic, the roof reinforcement portion disposed between the roof side rails so as to extend along a vehicle width direction;
• and
• a left and right pair of coupling sections formed of metal, wherein each coupling section couples a corresponding one of the left and right roof side rails and the roof reinforcement portion, and includes a weak section, wherein the weak section deforms under a collision load in the vehicle width direction prior to the roof reinforcement portion undergoing bending deformation under the collision load,
• wherein the weak section is formed with a protruding bead portion, wherein the protruding bead portion extends along the vehicle front-rear direction and protrudes toward a side of a neutral axis of bending of each of the coupling sections in a vehicle vertical direction due to the collision load, and
• wherein the weak section includes:
• a first indented bead portion indented toward an opposite side to the neutral axis and extending along the vehicle front-rear direction, the first indented bead portion formed further toward a vehicle width direction outer side than an inner side connection portion that is a connection portion of each of the coupling sections and that connects the left or right coupling section and the roof reinforcement portion,
• a second indented bead portion indented to the opposite side of the neutral axis and extending along the vehicle front-rear direction, the second indented bead portion formed further toward a vehicle width direction inner side than an outer side connection portion that is another connection portion of each of the coupling sections and that connects the left or right coupling section and a corresponding one of the left or right roof side rails, and
• the protruding bead portion formed between the first indented bead portion and the second indented bead portion;
• and
• the outer side connection portion is provided at a portion at a vehicle lower side of the roof side rails, and the protruding bead portion, the first indented bead portion, and the second indented bead portion are disposed further toward a vehicle upper side than the outer side connection portion and further toward the vehicle lower side than an apex of the roof side rails.

A vehicle roof structure comprising:

• a left and right pair of roof side rails configuring part of a roof section of a vehicle body, wherein the roof side rails are supported by a center pillar configuring part of the vehicle body and extend along a vehicle front-rear direction;
• a roof reinforcement portion formed of fiber reinforced plastic, the roof reinforcement portion disposed between the roof side rails so as to extend along a vehicle width direction;
• and
• a left and right pair of coupling sections formed of metal, wherein each coupling section couples a corresponding one of the left and right roof side rails and the roof reinforcement portion, and includes a weak section, wherein the weak section deforms under a collision load in the vehicle width direction prior to the roof reinforcement portion undergoing bending deformation under the collision load, and
• wherein the weak section is provided between an inner side connection portion, which is a connection portion of each of the coupling sections and that connects the left or right coupling section and the roof reinforcement portion, and an outer side connection portion, which is another connection portion of each of the coupling sections and that connects the left or right coupling section and a corresponding one of the left or right roof side rails, and the weak section is configured by a thinned portion formed thinner than the inner side connection portion and the outer side connection portion.