Vehicle roof with truss structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9855972-B2
Application number	US-201514688160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2015
Priority date	Apr 16, 2015
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle roof support structure including a pair of reinforcing truss members. The roof support structure includes a header, a roof bow, right and left roof rails, and a center roof support. The trusses form triangular reinforcing structures on the driver-side and passenger-side.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A roof structure supporting a roof panel for a vehicle comprising:
a transverse front header;
a transverse rear roof bow rearwardly spaced from the header;
a right roof rail and a left roof rail extending between the header and the roof bow on opposite lateral sides of the roof; and
a truss member secured to a corner formed by the roof bow and one roof rail and secured to a central portion of the header.

2. The roof structure of claim 1 wherein the truss is a driver-side truss member secured to the left roof rail and wherein the roof structure further comprises a passenger-side truss member secured to the right roof rail and the roof bow and that extends to the central portion of the header.

3. The roof structure of claim 1 wherein the truss forms a triangular shaped reinforcement including the truss member, a portion of the header between a centerline of the roof structure and a portion of one of the roof rails disposed between the roof bow and the header.

4. The roof structure of claim 3 wherein the triangular shaped reinforcement resists deformation of the roof structure causing a diagonal elongation of the roof structure.

5. The roof structure of claim 1 further comprising a door opening panel that extends around a door, wherein the door opening panel is attached to a B-pillar and is secured to one of the roof rails and the roof bow.

6. The roof structure of claim 1 wherein the header is connected to one of the roof rails by a bracket disposed adjacent an A-pillar of the vehicle.

7. The roof structure of claim 1 further comprising a longitudinally extending center roof support bar that extends from a central location on the roof bow to a central location on the header, and wherein the truss member is secured to the header adjacent the center roof support.

8. The roof structure of claim 1 wherein the roof panel remains secured to the roof structure in a side collision with a pole-shaped barrier.

9. A roof structure for supporting a roof panel for a truck cab comprising:
a transversely extending windshield header at a front of the roof structure;
a transversely extending roof bow rearwardly spaced from the windshield header;
a right roof rail and a left roof rail extending between the windshield header and the roof bow on opposite lateral sides of the roof panel; and
a passenger-side truss member secured to a corner formed by the roof bow and the right roof rail and extending to a central portion of the windshield header;
a driver-side truss member secured to a corner formed by the roof bow and the left roof rail and extending to the central portion of the windshield header; and
a longitudinally extending center roof support bar is connected to a central location on the roof bow and is connected to a central location on the windshield header, each of the truss members is secured to the windshield header adjacent the center roof support.

10. The roof structure of claim 9 wherein each of the trusses form a triangular shaped reinforcement including one of the truss members, a portion of the windshield header between a centerline of the roof structure and a portion of one of the roof rails disposed between the roof bow and the windshield header.

11. The roof structure of claim 10 wherein the triangular shaped reinforcements are adapted to resist deformation of the roof structure causing a diagonal elongation of the roof structure.

12. The roof structure of claim 9 further comprising a first door opening panel and a second door opening panel, wherein the door opening inner panel is secured to one of the roof rails and the roof bow.

13. The roof structure of claim 9 wherein the windshield header is connected to one of the roof rails by a bracket disposed adjacent an A-pillar of the truck cab.

14. The roof structure of claim 9 further comprising a longitudinally extending center roof support bar that extends from a central location on the roof bow to a central location on the windshield header, and wherein each of the truss members is secured to the windshield header adjacent the center roof support.

15. A roof structure for supporting a roof panel of a vehicle comprising:
a transversely extending header at a front of the roof structure;
a transversely extending roof bow rearwardly spaced from the header;
a right roof rail and a left roof rail extending between the header and the roof bow on opposite lateral sides of the roof panel;
a longitudinally extending center roof support bar that extends from a central location on the roof bow to a central location on the header; and
a truss extending between the header and the roof bow and between one of the roof rails and the center roof support bar to provide:
a first triangular reinforcing structure including the header, the truss member and the one of the roof rails, and
a second triangular reinforcing structure including the header, the truss member and the center roof support.

16. The roof structure of claim 15 wherein the truss is a driver-side truss member secured to the left roof rail and wherein the roof structure further comprises a passenger-side truss member extending between the header and the roof bow and between the right roof rail and the center roof support bar to provide:
a third triangular reinforcing structure including the header, the truss member and the right roof rail, and
a fourth triangular reinforcing structure including the header, the truss member and the center roof support.

17. The roof structure of claim 15 wherein the triangular reinforcing structures resist diagonal elongation of the roof structure.

18. The roof structure of claim 1 wherein the front header is adjacent a windshield.

19. The roof structure of claim 1 , wherein the front header is closer to a front windshield than the rear roof bow.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Hamdoon Muhsin M
• Elbkaily Marwan Ahmad
• Kostrominov Viktor
• Wagner Darrin Neil
• Donabedian Edgar Edward

Classifications

• B62D25/06 Primary

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

• B62D21/157 Primary

  for side impacts · CPC title

• B62D25/04

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title