Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-04
2003-09-09
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
C224S309000, C296S037700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06616221
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the roof of an automobile such as a sedan, a limousine, a coupe, a station wagon, a van or a minibus with a top panel whose longitudinal edges can be attached to corresponding longitudinal beams of the roof frame of the auto body.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When building an auto body the top panel of the vehicle roof is traditionally welded to the roof frame. In recent times, cemented joints have increasingly taken the place of welded joints. There are certain problems associated with that approach, for instance when during the curing of the cement the joint is exposed to vibrations, which is inevitable during the movement of the auto body on the assembly belt, unless extended curing times and corresponding delay times are to be tolerated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the objective of this invention to simplify the attachment of a vehicle roof to the longitudinal beams of a roof frame while at the same time reinforcing the top panel and making certain that, after the top panel is cemented to the longitudinal beams of the roof frame, a solid bond with the roof frame is established even while the cement employed is still in the curing process.
According to the invention this objective is achieved by providing the top panel along each longitudinal edge with an permanently attached structural bar which serves both as additional reinforcement of the panel and as a flange for mounting the latter on the longitudinal beams of the roof frame. The structural bars are hollow and are provided on their sides butting against the top panel with at least one opening which permits access to openings in the top panel for accommodating fastening elements for roof rails, top-carrier cross brackets etc. that can be anchored in the structural bars.
The invention thus consists essentially in providing for a vehicle roof a top panel with integrated structural bars which can themselves be attached to the longitudinal beams as a fastening device in addition to the cemented joint between the top panel and the longitudinal beams of the roof frame. The particular advantage of this feature lies in the fact that it ensures a solid connection of the cemented top panel with the longitudinal beams or even with the overall roof frame of the auto body via the structural bars, preventing the cemented joint between the top panel and the roof frame from being affected by any vibration of the auto body as it moves along the assembly belt while the cement is still in the curing stage. Another advantage of the invention consists in the fact that the weight of a load on the roof is not transferred onto the top panel but, via the structural bars, to the substantially stronger roof frame of the auto body.
According to the invention the structural bars are cemented to the top panel while they can be fastened to the longitudinal beams of the roof frame by means of bolts.
When no roof rails, roof-rack cross members etc. are to be mounted, the openings in the top panel can be sealed by means of plugs, slides, lids or the like so as to keep any dirt or moisture from entering the auto body.
The structural bars may be in the form of a rolled or extruded steel or aluminum profile, the openings may be a series of slots, they may also be provided with a strip having perforations with threaded inserts or welded or press-fit insert nuts accepting threaded bolts.
The desire of car makers to increasingly use modular vehicle components is met by a design version of the invention in which the top panel, together with the structural bars cemented to the top panel and with the car ceiling attached to it, constitutes a prefabricated assembly. The car ceiling may include a roof lining and/or interior soft trim, sun visors, interior rear-view mirror, interior lighting, wiring, operating and instrument-panel elements, sliding or sun roof and its mounts and actuating elements, handles, etc.
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WO91/19627.
Gross Michael
Kolodzeij Klaus
Lumpe Karl-Heinz
Coletta Lori L
Dayoan D. Glenn
Harness & Dickey & Pierce P.L.C.
JAC Products Deutschland GmbH
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