Vehicle body structure

A vehicle body structure comprising:

• a generally horizontal roof panel having a side edge portion and a sunroof opening;
• a body side outer panel fixedly coupled to the roof panel and extending generally downward from the side edge portion of the roof panel to form a corner area;
• a vertically extending center pillar outer member including a generally vertical extending pillar portion and a generally horizontal extending upper pillar portion located at an upper end of the vertical extending pillar portion in the corner area, the upper pillar portion having a generally overall U-shaped transverse cross section with an upper end section and a lower end section;
• a longitudinally extending roof side rail outer member having a generally overall U-shaped transverse cross section positioned at the corner area, the roof side rail outer member having a first side rail outer portion fixedly coupled to the upper end section of the upper pillar portion and a second side rail outer portion fixedly coupled to the lower end section of the upper pillar portion;
• a longitudinally extending roof side rail inner member having a first side rail inner portion fixedly coupled to the first side rail outer portion and a second side rail inner portion fixedly coupled to one of the second side rail outer portion and the lower end section of the upper pillar portion;
• a longitudinally extending reinforcement member having a generally overall U-shaped cross section that includes a first edge portion connected to the first side rail outer portion and a second edge portion connected to the second side rail outer portion, the reinforcement member extending generally perpendicular to the center pillar outer member.

A vehicle body structure comprising:

• a generally horizontal roof panel having a side edge portion;
• a body side outer panel fixedly coupled to the roof panel and extending generally downward from the side edge portion of the roof panel to form a corner area;
• a vertically extending center pillar outer member including a generally vertical extending pillar portion and a generally horizontal extending upper pillar portion located at an upper end of the vertical extending pillar portion in the corner area, the upper pillar portion having a generally overall U-shaped transverse cross section with an upper end section and a lower end section;
• a longitudinally extending roof side rail outer member having a generally overall U-shaped transverse cross section positioned at the corner area, the roof side rail outer member having a first side rail outer portion fixedly coupled to the upper end section of the upper pillar portion and a second side rail outer portion fixedly coupled to the lower end section of the upper pillar portion;
• a longitudinally extending roof side rail inner member having a first side rail inner portion fixedly coupled to the first side rail outer portion and a second side rail inner portion fixedly coupled to one of the second side rail outer portion and the lower end section of the upper pillar portion;
• and
• a longitudinally extending reinforcement member having a generally overall U-shaped cross section that includes a first edge portion connected to the first side rail outer portion and a second edge portion connected to the second side rail outer portion, the reinforcement member extending generally perpendicular to the center pillar outer member, the reinforcement member being disposed between the roof side rail outer member and the roof side rail inner member.

A vehicle sunroof reinforcement structure comprising:

• a roof side rail outer member having a generally overall U-shaped transverse cross section with an inwardly extending first side rail outer portion and a generally downward extending second side rail outer portion;
• a roof side rail inner member having a first side rail inner portion connected to the first side rail outer portion and a second side rail inner portion connected to the second side rail outer portion to form a roof rail assembly having a closed cross section;
• a cross member extending laterally inward from the roof rail assembly;
• a reinforcement stiffener connected to the cross member to form a sunroof center roof bow assembly having a closed cross section;
• a B-pillar fixedly coupled to the roof rail assembly with a central axis of the B-pillar being longitudinally offset along the roof rail assembly from the sunroof center roof bow assembly;
• and
• a gusset having a first gusset end attached to the sunroof center roof bow assembly and a second gusset end attached to the roof side rail inner member.

A vehicle body structure comprising:

• a generally horizontal roof panel having first and second longitudinal sides and a sunroof opening located between the first and second longitudinal sides;
• a longitudinally extending roof side rail outer member having a generally overall U-shaped transverse cross section fixedly coupled along at least a portion of one of the first and second longitudinal sides of the roof panel to define a corner area;
• a longitudinally extending roof side rail inner member fixedly coupled to the roof side rail outer member;
• a body side outer panel fixedly coupled to at least one of the roof side rail inner and outer members;
• a sunroof support structure disposed beneath the sunroof opening of the roof panel;
• a pillar structure extending vertically downward from at least one of the roof rail inner member and the roof rail outer member adjacent to the sunroof opening;
• a longitudinally extending reinforcement member having a generally overall U-shaped transverse cross section fixedly coupled to at least one of the roof side rail inner and outer members and extending along a portion of the sunroof opening to a point rearward of the sunroof opening;
• and
• a laterally extending cross member fixedly coupled to the roof side rail inner member rearward of the sunroof opening and the pillar structure.