Roof segment for a vehicle and method for producing a roof segment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10167020-B2
Application number	US-201615041361-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2016
Priority date	Feb 11, 2015
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A roof segment for a vehicle, particularly a motor vehicle, wherein the roof segment has a flat base element with a wall, wherein the wall is created from a single, plastically deformed starting material, forms a closed hollow cross section, and encloses one or more cavities. The invention further relates to a method for producing a roof segment that may include plastic deformation of a single starting material to produce a blank that has a wall with a closed hollow cross section, and hotforming the blank to produce the flat base element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a roof segment for a vehicle that has a front windscreen and a rear window, the method comprising:
forming the roof segment as a flat base element with a wall configured to extend from the front windscreen to the rear window;
forming the wall from a single, plastically deformed starting material;
forming a closed hollow cross section; and
enclosing one or more cavities with the wall.

2. The method according to claim 1 comprising:
starting with the base element as a single flat material with a first end area and a second end area; and
forming the wall from the single flat material so that the two end areas are structurally connected to each other.

3. The method according to claim 2 comprising rollforming the flat material to create the wall.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the base element has a longitudinal axis and comprising:
forming the first end area with a first edge and the second end area with a second edge, which extend parallel to one another along the longitudinal axis; and
welding the first edge to the second edge along the longitudinal axis.

5. The method according to claim 2 comprising connecting the first end area and the second end area to each other structurally by welding.

6. The method according to claim 3 comprising:
connecting the first end area and the second end area to each other structurally by welding;
forming a front attachment section across the roof segment, so that the front attachment section is configured to mate with the front windscreen; and
forming a rear attachment section across the roof segment, so that the rear attachment section is configured to mate with the rear window.

7. The method according to claim 4 comprising:
forming a front attachment section across the roof segment, so that the front attachment section is configured to mate with the front windscreen;
forming a rear attachment section across the roof segment, so that the rear attachment section is configured to mate with the rear window; and
connecting the first end area and the second end area to each other structurally by welding continuously from the front attachment section to the rear attachment section.

8. The method according to claim 1 comprising extruding a pellet to form the base element with the wall.

9. The method according to claim 1 comprising:
forming the base element with a number of attachment sections; and
forming a roof module prior to assembly of the roof module to the vehicle by fastening the roof segment to adjacent components of the vehicle including a headliner, using the attachment sections.

10. The method according to claim 1 comprising:
attaching the front windscreen and the rear window of the vehicle to front and rear attachment sections of the roof segment; and
attaching sidewalls of the vehicle at left and right attachment sections the roof segment.

11. The method according to claim 8 comprising:
forming a front adapter across the roof segment adjacent the front attachment section;
forming a rear adapter across the roof segment adjacent the rear attachment section; and
separating the front and rear adapters from the roof segment before assembling the roof segment to the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 10 comprising forming a roof module from the roof segment and from interior components including a headliner, prior to assembly of the roof module to the vehicle.

13. A method for producing a roof segment of a vehicle, the method comprising:
plastic forming of a single starting material to produce a blank having a wall with a hollow cross section, and
forming the blank to produce a flat base element configured to span a roof area of the vehicle from a front windscreen to a rear window, and from a left side wall of the vehicle to a right side wall of the vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein a single flat material is used, and the blank is produced by rollforming of the flat material and comprising:
forming the blank with a front attachment section configured to attach to the front windscreen;
forming the blank with a rear attachment section configured to attach to the rear window;
forming the blank with a left attachment section configured to attach to the left side wall; and
forming the blank with a right attachment section configured to attach to the right side wall.

15. The method according to claim 14 ,
wherein the flat material has a first end area and a second end area, and comprising connecting the first and second end areas to each other structurally to form a closed hollow cross section.

16. The method according to claim 13 ,
comprising connecting the first end area and the second end area to each other structurally by laser welding.

17. The method according to claim 13 , wherein a pellet is used as a starting material, and is extruded to form a closed hollow cross section.

18. The method according to any of claim 13 , comprising hot forming the blank in a high pressure forming process.

19. A method for producing a roof segment for a vehicle having a roof area, the method comprising:
forming the roof segment from a single starting material as a base element with a wall so that the base element has a flat shape with a length and a width configured to substantially occupy the roof area of the vehicle in its entirety;
forming the wall from a single, plastically deformed starting material;
forming the wall to surround a cavity defining a closed hollow cross section, with an upper wall section on one side of the cavity and a lower wall section on an opposite side of the cavity from the upper wall section;
moving the upper and lower wall sections toward one another in a stamping zone that extends across the roof segment;
forming the base element with a front attachment section configured to attach to a front windscreen, wherein the upper and lower wall sections touch each other in the front attachment section;
forming the base element with a rear attachment section configured to attach to a rear window, wherein the upper and lower wall sections touch each other in the rear attachment section;
forming the base element with a left attachment section configured to attach to a left side wall of the vehicle, wherein the upper and lower wall sections touch each other in the left attachment section; and
forming the base element with a right attachment section configured to attach to a right side wall of the vehicle, wherein the upper and lower wall sections touch each other in the right attachment section;
forming a front adapter across the roof segment adjacent the front attachment section;
forming a rear adapter across the roof segment adjacent the rear attachment section; and
separating the front and rear adapters from the roof segment before assembling the roof segment to the vehicle.

20. The method according to claim 19 comprising assembling the base element in a roof module prior to assembly into the vehicle, the roof module including interior components of the vehicle including a headliner.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Mildner Udo
• Teske Lothar

Classifications

• B21D22/022

  by heating the blank or stamping associated with heat treatment (C21D takes precedence) · 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

• B21D47/01

  beams or pillars · CPC title

• B21C37/0803

  the tubes having a special shape, e.g. polygonal tubes · CPC title

• B21D53/88

  other parts for vehicles, e.g. cowlings, mudguards · CPC title