Moonroof ring

• US 9,902,243 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Frank, Steven, March, Jamie, Vyas, Bhadresh V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lyjak, Lori L
• Application Number:
  US15/245,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20180056764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/18 Dissimilar materials
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/21 by welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/323 involving parts made of dissimilar metallic material
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/043 Sunroofs B60J7/047 - B60J7/053 take precedencee.g. sliding above the roof
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/06 Fixed roofs non-fixed roofs or like shelters B60J7/00; roof liners B60R13/02; insulating elements B60R13/08
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 29/007 predominantly of special steel or specially treated steel, e.g. stainless steel or locally surface hardened steel

Abstract

A moonroof ring assembly may include a first portion being formed from a first material, and a second portion being laser welded to the first portion and being formed from a second material, wherein the first material is of a higher strength than the second material.

Claims

1. A moonroof ring assembly, comprising:

a moonroof ring including a rear portion and a forward portion, the rear portion being formed from a first material and the forward portion having a laser welded connection to the rear portion and being formed from a second material, wherein the first material is of a higher strength than the second material.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first material and the second material is boron.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first material is a first boron material and the second material is a second boron material, the second boron material having a higher strength than the first boron material.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the rear portion has a first thickness greater than a second thickness of the forward portion and wherein the laser welded connection of the rear portion to the forward portion accommodates for the difference in thickness between the first material and the second material.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the rear portion is formed from a first material piece and the forward portion is formed from a second material piece.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the rear portion forms a U-shape.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the U-shape is formed by a first, second and third sub-portions each arranged to form the U-shape.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the sub-portions are each formed from a separate material piece and laser welded together to from the U-shape.

9. A moonroof ring assembly, comprising:

a first portion including a first, second and third sub-portion, each sub-portion being formed from a first material; and

a second portion being laser welded to the first portion at the second sub-portion and the third sub-portion, the second portion being formed from a second material, wherein the first material is of a higher strength than the second material.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first material and the second material is boron.

11. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the first material is a first boron material and the second material is a second boron material, the second boron material having a higher strength than the first boron material.

12. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the first portion has a first thickness greater than a second thickness of the second portion and wherein the laser welding the first portion to the second portion accommodates for the difference in thickness between the first material and the second material.

13. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the first portion is formed from a first material piece and the second portion is formed from a second material piece.

14. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the sub-portions of the first portion form a U-shape.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the sub-portions are each formed from a separate material piece and laser welded together to from the U-shape.

16. A method for assembling a moonroof ring assembly, comprising:

forming a rear portion from a first material;

forming a forward portion from a second material, wherein the first material is of a higher strength than the second material; and

laser welding the forward portion to the rear portion.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first material is a first boron material and the second material is a second boron material, the second boron material having a higher strength than the first boron material.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the rear portion has a first thickness greater than a second thickness of the forward portion and wherein the laser welding of the rear portion to the forward portion accommodates for the difference in thickness between the first material and the second material.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the rear portion is formed from a first material piece and the forward portion is formed from a second material piece.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the rear portion and the first portion are U-shaped.