Vehicle body structure
AssigneeNingbo Geely Automobile Research & Development Co.
InventorBiquan Wu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle body structure includes a roof structure and a lateral side structure, wherein the roof structure includes a roof panel fastened to an underlying roof reinforcement frame, wherein the lateral side structure includes a side panel fastened to an underlying side support structure, wherein a lateral side of the roof panel is fastened to the roof reinforcement frame by means of a hemming joint that is formed by folding a lateral side of the roof panel around an edge of the roof reinforcement frame, and wherein a folded side edge of the roof panel is fastened to the side panel by means of an elongated laser brazing joint.
Claims16
A vehicle body structure comprising a roof structure and a lateral side structure, wherein the roof structure comprises a roof panel fastened to an underlying roof reinforcement frame, wherein the lateral side structure comprises a side panel fastened to an underlying side support structure, wherein a lateral side of the roof panel is fastened to the roof reinforcement frame by means of a hemming joint that is formed by folding a lateral side of the roof panel around an edge of the roof reinforcement frame, and wherein a folded side edge of the roof panel is fastened to the side panel by means of an elongated laser brazing joint, wherein the lateral side structure further comprises an upper connection flange for joining an upper edge of the side panel with the underlying side support structure, wherein the side panel, starting from the upper connection flange, extends outwards to a first fold, and thereafter upwards past the laser brazing joint to a second fold, and thereafter further outwards, and wherein the side panel defines an angle of more than 100 degrees at the second fold.
Method for connecting a vehicle roof structure to a vehicle lateral side structure to form a vehicle body structure, comprising
- bringing a roof panel together with a roof reinforcement frame to form the roof structure,
- folding a lateral side of the roof panel around an edge of the roof reinforcement frame to fasten the lateral side of the roof panel to the roof reinforcement frame by means of a hemming joint,
- fastening a side panel to an underlying side support structure to form the lateral side structure, the lateral side structure having an upper connection flange joining an upper edge of the side panel with the underlying side support structure,
- bringing the roof structure together and in contact with the lateral side structure, and
- fastening the folded side edge of the roof panel to the side panel by means of an elongated laser brazing joint,.
- wherein the side panel, starting from the upper connection flange, extends outwards to a first fold, and thereafter upwards past the laser brazing joint to a second fold, and thereafter further outwards, and wherein the side panel defines an angle of more than 100 degrees at the second fold.
A vehicle body structure comprising a roof structure and a lateral side structure, wherein the roof structure comprises a roof panel fastened to an underlying roof reinforcement frame, wherein the lateral side structure comprises a side panel fastened to an underlying side support structure, wherein the roof reinforcement frame is fastened to a laterally inwardly protruding bracket by a mechanical fastener, the laterally inwardly protruding bracket being an integral part of the side support structure, wherein a lateral side of the roof panel is fastened to the roof reinforcement frame by means of a hemming joint that is formed by folding a lateral side of the roof panel around an edge of the roof reinforcement frame, wherein a folded side edge of the roof panel is fastened to the side panel by means of an elongated laser brazing joint, wherein the lateral side structure further comprises an upper connection flange for joining an upper edge of the side panel with the underlying side support structure, wherein the side panel, starting from the upper connection flange, extends outwards to a first fold, and thereafter upwards past the laser brazing joint to a second fold, and thereafter further outwards, and wherein the side panel defines an angle of more than 100 degrees at the second fold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.