Roof accessory interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10787131-B2
Application number	US-201815919592-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2018
Priority date	Mar 13, 2018
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

A motor vehicle according to an exemplary aspect of this disclosure includes, among other things, a roof structure, a bracket projecting from the roof structure, a roof panel configured to attach to the roof structure such that the bracket is beneath the roof panel, and an accessory configured to attach to the bracket. A method is also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:
a roof structure;
a bracket projecting from the roof structure;
a roof panel configured to attach to the roof structure such that the bracket is beneath the roof panel; and
an accessory configured to attach to the bracket, wherein the accessory is a component of a roof rack.

2. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the roof panel includes an opening, and
a portion of the accessory projects through the opening to attach to the bracket.

3. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 2 , further comprising:
a cap configured to cover the opening in the roof panel when the accessory is not attached to the bracket.

4. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the bracket is attached to an interior surface of the roof structure such that the bracket projects inward from the roof structure toward a centerline of the motor vehicle.

5. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the roof panel is a portion of a removable hard top roof.

6. A motor vehicle, comprising:
a roof structure;
a bracket projecting from the roof structure;
a roof panel configured to attach to the roof structure such that the bracket is beneath the roof panel; and
an accessory configured to attach to the bracket,
wherein the accessory is configured to attach to the bracket by way of a quarter-turn fastener.

7. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 6 , wherein:
the bracket includes a slot,
the accessory includes a rotatable tab configured to allow movement of the accessory relative to the bracket in a first position and configured to prevent movement of the accessory relative to the bracket in a second position.

8. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 7 , wherein the rotatable tab is configured to rotate about ninety-degrees between the first and second positions.

9. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 8 , wherein:
the accessory includes one of a lug and a handle coupled to the rotatable tab.

10. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 7 , further comprising a lock configured to lock the rotatable tab in the second position.

11. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 10 , wherein the lock is a push-lock.

12. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 10 , wherein the lock is configured to couple to a stud projecting from the bracket.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Marchlewski Jack
• Stojkovic Dragan B
• Hemphill Joshua Robert
• Reiners Robert
• Gray Jeffrey

Classifications

• B60J7/11

  Removable panels, e.g. sunroofs · CPC title

• F16B21/04

  with bayonet catch · CPC title

• B60J7/106 Primary

  readily detachable hard-tops (storage compartment for collapsible flexible tops B60J7/20) · CPC title

• B60R9/04

  Carriers associated with vehicle roof (B60R9/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60J7/047

  movable to overlapping or nested relationship {(B60J7/041 takes precedence)} · CPC title