Vehicle body with adhesively bonded vehicle roof along with a method for manufacturing a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10086877-B2
Application number	US-201514971346-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2015
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle body is disclosed having a roof materially joined to the vehicle body via adhesive bonding. A locking structure is provided that holds the roof on the vehicle body, securing it against detaching in the vertical direction of the vehicle and allowing a movement by the roof relative to the vehicle body, in particular a temperature-induced expansion movement, in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and/or transverse direction of the vehicle. The locking structure includes a latching element and a counter-latching element such as a stop element that is engages with the latching element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle body for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a lateral wall on a side of the motor vehicle comprising at least one pillar, the lateral wall comprising a protruding lip having a concave lower surface, a substantially vertical wall connected to a lower end of the concave lower surface of the protruding lip at a first end of the substantially vertical wall and a substantially horizontal wall connected a second end of the substantially vertical wall; and
a roof comprising a locking structure, the roof mounted and materially joined to the lateral wall via the locking structure, the locking structure comprising a convex upper surface configured to hold the roof to the concave lower surface of the protruding lip of the lateral wall, the locking structure securing the roof against detaching in a vertical direction of the vehicle body and allow a temperature-induced expansion movement by the roof relative to the vehicle body in at least one of a longitudinal direction and transverse direction of the vehicle, the roof further comprising a joining area connected to the convex upper surface of the locking structure; and
an adhesive bond bonding the roof to the lateral wall between the substantially horizontal wall of the lateral wall and the joining area of the roof.

2. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein the locking structure is configured to securely retain the roof on the vehicle body so that the roof is not moved in the vertical direction of the vehicle during a dip painting process.

3. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , therein the locking structure is configured to provide a positive connection with the vehicle body during placement of the roof on the vehicle body.

4. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein the locking structure generates a retaining force for holding the roof against the lateral wall in a predetermined installation position in the vertical direction, and permitting a temperature-induced expansion movement of the roof relative to the lateral wall in the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction.

5. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein the locking structure generates a retaining force that, in a dip painting process, holds the roof against the vehicle body in a predetermined installation position in the vertical direction, and permits a temperature-induced expansion movement of the roof relative to the vehicle body in the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction.

6. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein the roof comprises a material having aluminum or aluminum alloy.

7. The vehicle body according to claim 6 , wherein the vehicle body comprises a material having steel or steel alloy.

8. A motor vehicle comprising a vehicle body according to claim 1 .

9. A method for manufacturing the motor vehicle having the lateral wall in combination with the roof according to claim 1 , wherein the lateral wall and roof are first manufactured as a vehicle shell, after which the vehicle shell is painted using a dip painting process to form a painted vehicle shell.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the dip painting processes comprises a cathodic dip painting process.

11. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising subjecting the painted vehicle shell is subjected to a thermal paint drying process.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Lange Marcus

Classifications

• B60J10/32

  using integral U-shaped retainers · CPC title

• B62D25/06 Primary

  Fixed roofs (non-fixed roofs or like shelters B60J7/00; roof liners B60R13/02; insulating elements B60R13/08) · CPC title

• B62D27/026

  Connections by glue bonding (in general F16B11/00; processes C09J5/00) · CPC title

• B60J10/34

  using adhesives · CPC title

• B05D1/18

  performed by dipping · CPC title