Vehicular roof structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11142257-B2
Application number	US-202016752706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2020
Priority date	Feb 15, 2019
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A vehicular roof structure has a roof side rail joined to a roof panel. The roof panel includes an inclined joining section, a vertical section and a horizontal joining section. The inclined joining section has an outer side portion of the roof panel that is bent inward in a vehicle width direction, and the roof side rail is joined thereto. The vertical section is provided on the inclined joining section on a rearward side of the vehicle body, and the outer side portion of the roof panel is bent vertically. The horizontal joining section protrudes outward from the vertical section in the vehicle width direction. A tail gate hinge is attached to the horizontal joining section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicular roof structure in which a roof side rail is joined to a roof panel, the roof panel comprising:
an inclined joining section having an outer side portion bent inward in a vehicle width direction and to which the roof side rail is joined;
a vertical section provided on at least one side of the inclined joining section in a vehicle body forward/rearward direction and having an outer side portion that is bent vertically;
a horizontal joining section protruding outward from the vertical section in the vehicle width direction; and
an exterior part attached to the horizontal joining section,
wherein the vehicular roof structure further comprises:
a gate pillar extending from the roof side rail toward a rear side of the vehicle body and in which the horizontal joining section is provided; and
a shielding plate joined to a front section of the gate pillar,
wherein the shielding plate has a front shielding wall and a side shielding wall that forms a substantially L-shaped cross section, and
the front shielding wall and the side shielding wall are joined to a front edge and a side edge of the front section of the gate pillar.

2. The vehicular roof structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the front edge is joined to a rear end portion of the roof side rail.

3. The vehicular roof structure according to claim 1 , wherein a rear wall of a rear end portion of the roof side rail is disposed while having an interval with respect to the front edge of the front section of the gate pillar in a state the rear wall of the rear end portion of the roof side rail overhangs toward a rear side of the vehicle body, and
the front shielding wall is disposed in a region between the rear wall and the front edge which are disposed so as to have an interval in the vehicle body forward/rearward direction and is joined to the rear wall and the front edge.

4. The vehicular roof structure according to claim 1 , wherein the side shielding wall of the shielding plate is disposed on an inward side of the vehicle in a state standing upward from the front section of the gate pillar, and
the shielding plate comprises a seal shelf section provided on a forward side of the side shielding wall in the vehicle body.

5. The vehicular roof structure according to claim 1 , wherein the gate pillar comprises:
an outer gate pillar that abuts a back surface of the horizontal joining section;
an inner gate pillar provided on the outer gate pillar on an inward side of the vehicle; and
a gusset provided between the outer gate pillar and the inner gate pillar, and
an upper surface of the gusset is joined to the outer gate pillar, and a lower surface of the gusset is joined to the inner gate pillar.

6. The vehicular roof structure according to claim 5 , wherein the gusset has a working hole in a section corresponding to a fastening member configured to attach the exterior part to the horizontal joining section.

7. The vehicular roof structure according to claim 3 , wherein a rear end portion of the roof side rail is formed from an upper end to a lower end in an inclined shape at a downward gradient toward a rear side of the vehicle body,
the exterior part has a front end portion formed along the rear end portion of the roof side rail and is supported to be freely openable and closable with respect to the vehicle body while having a hinge shaft attached to the horizontal joining section as an axis, and
the rear end portion of the roof side rail overhangs toward a rear side of the vehicle body with respect to the front end portion of the gate pillar in a region disposed on a further forward side of the vehicle body than a rotational center of the hinge shaft, and
the rear end portion of the roof side rail is disposed on a further forward side of the vehicle body than the front end portion of the gate pillar in a region disposed on a further rearward side of the vehicle body than the rotational center of the hinge shaft.

8. The vehicular roof structure according to claim 5 , comprising a connecting bracket configured to connect a rear damper housing provided below the horizontal joining section and the inner gate pillar in an upward/downward direction.

9. The vehicular roof structure according to claim 1 , comprising:
a rail joining section to which the roof panel and the roof side rail are joined and that is formed in a concave shape;
a first gap in communication with the rail joining section and formed between the rear end portion of the roof side rail and the exterior part; and
a second gap in communication with the rail joining section and formed between the outer side portion of the roof panel and the exterior part, and
wherein water on a surface of the roof panel is drained from the rail joining section, the first gap and the second gap toward a rear side of the vehicle body via the front section of the gate pillar.

10. A vehicular roof structure in which a roof side rail is joined to a roof panel, the roof panel comprising:
an inclined joining section having an outer side portion bent inward in a vehicle width direction and to which the roof side rail is joined;
a vertical section provided on at least one side of the inclined joining section in a vehicle body forward/rearward direction and having an outer side portion that is bent vertically;
a horizontal joining section protruding outward from the vertical section in the vehicle width direction;
a bent section bent downward from a rear end portion of the roof panel, and
an exterior part attached to the horizontal joining section,
wherein the horizontal joining section is formed integrally with a vertical joining section joined to the horizontal joining section so as to protrude downward along the vertical section and a bent joining section joined to the horizontal joining section so as to protrude downward along the bent section, and
a roof joining section having an L-shaped cross section is formed by the horizontal joining section and the vertical joining section, and the roof joining section protrudes from a lower end portion of the bent joining section toward a rear side of the vehicle body.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hida Kazunori
• Ebihara Daisuke

Classifications

• B62D27/02

  rigid · CPC title

• B62D65/02

  Joining sub-units or components to, or positioning sub-units or components with respect to, body shell or other sub-units or components · 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

• B62D25/02

  Side panels {(B62D33/046 takes precedence; sideboards for open load compartments B62D33/023)} · CPC title

• B62D25/08

  Front or rear portions {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11)} · CPC title