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US 11,685,445 B2Granted
Vehicle roof structure
AssigneeMazda Motor Corporation
InventorsTomohito Okuyama, Ryuji Nonaka, Junji Kishimoto, Toshimine Morino, Kazuhisa To, Chikara Tanaka, Shin Sasaki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle roof structure is provided capable of maintaining side collision performance of a vehicle even without a roof reinforcing member. The vehicle roof structure includes an annular frame that is joined to a circumferential edge of a roof panel (which includes an outer panel and an inner panel), and supports the roof panel. The annular frame has a higher rigidity than the roof panel, is arranged in an opening of a roof, and is joined to a pair of roof side rails, a front header, and a rear header.
Claims14
A roof structure of a roof of a vehicle, the vehicle roof structure comprising:
- a pair of roof side rails spaced from each other in a width direction of a vehicle body, each of the side rails forming a side portion of the roof;
- a front header and a rear header spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and respectively forming a front end portion and a rear end portion of the roof;
- a roof panel that covers an opening formed by the pair of roof side rails, the front header, and the rear header;
- and
- an annular frame that is joined to circumferential edges of the roof panel and supports said roof panel,
- wherein the annular frame has a higher rigidity than the roof panel, is disposed in the opening, and is joined to the pair of roof side rails, the front header, and the rear header,
- the annular frame has a body portion that has a cross-sectional shape including:
- a pair of panel joint portions that extend along surfaces of the circumferential edges of the roof panel and are joined to said circumferential edges;
- and
- a pair of vertical plate portions each of which extends from one of said pair of panel joint portions in a vertical direction of the vehicle body, and
- the body portion has a hollow closed cross-sectional shape comprising the pair of panel joint portions and the pair of vertical plate portions.
8 more elements
A roof structure of a roof of a vehicle, the vehicle roof structure comprising:
- a pair of roof side rails spaced from each other in a width direction of a vehicle body, each of the side rails forming a side portion of the roof;
- a front header and a rear header spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and respectively forming a front end portion and a rear end portion of the roof;
- a roof panel that covers an opening formed by the pair of roof side rails, the front header, and the rear header;
- and
- an annular frame that is joined to a circumferential edge of the roof panel and supports said roof panel,
- wherein the annular frame has a higher rigidity than the roof panel, is disposed in the opening, and is joined to the pair of roof side rails, the front header, and the rear header,
- the annular frame further includes a fastening portion that is fastened to each of the paired roof side rails, the front header, and the rear header,
- the roof side rail has a flange portion that projects into the opening,
- the fastening portion is fastened to the flange portion,
- an upper end of the annular frame is located at substantially the same height as an upper end of the roof side rail, and
- a lower end of the annular frame is located below the flange portion.
8 more elements
A roof structure of a roof of a vehicle, the vehicle roof structure comprising:
- a pair of roof side rails spaced from each other in a width direction of a vehicle body, each of the side rails forming a side portion of the roof;
- a front header and a rear header spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and respectively forming a front end portion and a rear end portion of the roof;
- a roof panel that covers an opening formed by the pair of roof side rails, the front header, and the rear header;
- and
- an annular frame that is joined to a circumferential edge of the roof panel and supports said roof panel,
- wherein the annular frame has a higher rigidity than the roof panel, is disposed in the opening, and is joined to the pair of roof side rails, the front header, and the rear header,
- the annular frame further includes a fastening portion that is fastened to each of the paired roof side rails, the front header, and the rear header,
- the roof side rail has a flange portion that projects into the opening,
- the fastening portion is fastened to the flange portion,
- the roof panel has a side edge portion that extends to the fastening portion and is fastened to said fastening portion, and
- the side edge portion and the fastening portion are fastened to the flange portion of the roof side rail.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.