Vehicle roof and method for mounting said vehicle roof on a vehicle body

• US 6,367,872 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1999
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbH (Cummins Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbH (Cummins Incorporated)
• Inventors: Grimm, Rainer, Becher, Thomas, Böhm, Horst
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Joseph D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORROW, JASON S
• Application Number:
  US09/380,792
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 296/29, 296/216, 296/213, 296/211, 296/214, 296/215, 296/218, 296/216.01, 296/216.09, 296/216.06, 296/216.07, 298/972, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 296/214
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/245 located in the roof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0212 Roof or head liners movable head-liners B60J7/0007
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0442 associated with the roof panel
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/04 Padded linings for the vehicle interior ; Energy absorbing structures associated with padded or non-padded linings
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/214 in roof panels
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/15 having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body bumpers B60R19/02; shock absorbers in general F16F
• 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 65/00 Designing, manufacturing, e.g. assembling, facilitating disassembly, or structurally modifying motor vehicles or trailers, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/14 the sub-units or components being passenger compartment fittings, e.g. seats, linings, trim, instrument panels

Abstract

A vehicle roof includes a preformed inner shell forming the roof lining. The lining is larger than the inside dimensions of the body opening bounded by the rails or sections of the closed body frame. The roof lining is flexible or elastic on the protruding areas, so that it is bendable for passage through the body opening bordered by the vehicle frame, with partial folding in the corner areas downward without permanent deformation and is designed to cover the vehicle frame. The protruding areas of the roof lining therefore form the coverings for the roof frame sections so that additional cover strips and cover sections are not required, even in the corners.

Claims

1. A vehicle roof, comprising:

an outer shell mountable to a vehicle body;

an inner shell adjacent said outer shell, said inner shell having an outer edge defined by an upper layer mountable to said outer shell and a lower layer extending continuously about an outer periphery defined by said outer shell; and

a flexible portion of said lower layer passable through an opening in the vehicle body during mounting of said outer shell to the vehicle body, said flexible portion covering a portion of the vehicle body within an interior of the vehicle.

2. A vehicle roof according to claim 1, further comprising at least one mounting site in said lower layer for an interior component.

3. A vehicle roof according to claim 1, further comprising a roof lining surface sandwiched to a surface of said lower layer facing away from said upper layer.

4. A vehicle roof, in particular a motor vehicle roof,

which is designed in a sandwiched configuration with a roof skin,

which is produced separately from a vehicle body, and

which can be mounted on and securely fixed to a body frame with its roof edges,

wherein said roof skin is provided with a roof opening and foamed with a layer of an expanded plastic,

a reinforcement frame surrounding said roof opening being embedded in said layer of expanded plastic, and

a sun roof frame being fixed to said reinforcement frame.

5. A vehicle roof according to claim 4, wherein said sun roof frame has a flange which abuts directly flush against a lower surface of said reinforcement frame, said flange serving to secure said sun roof frame to said reinforcement frame.

6. A vehicle roof according to claim 4, further comprising a roof lining preformed as an inner shell, said roof lining being spaced apart from said roof skin,

secured to said sun roof frame affixed beneath said roof skin, and

designed for covering said body frame and said sun roof frame.

7. A vehicle roof according to claim 6, wherein said inner shell is secured to said sun roof frame by means of an assembly piping which is fitted onto both a flange of said sun roof frame and an edge of an opening of said inner shell.

8. A vehicle roof according to claim 4, wherein water entering via an edge gap between said roof skin and a slide cover is intercepted by said sun roof frame and directed to the outside via a hose or tube piece embedded in a corner area of said sun roof frame in said layer of expanded plastic applied to an underside of said roof skin, said hose or tube piece being sealingly mounted on one side on a drain nozzle of said sun roof frame and ending on the other side with an opening at an outer edge of the vehicle roof.

9. A vehicle roof according to claim 8, wherein said hose or tube piece opens into a water drainage gutter at said outer edge of the vehicle roof, said water drainage gutter being formed between said outer edge of the vehicle roof and an opposing surface of said body frame.

10. A vehicle roof according to claim 4, wherein, to serve the strengthening of the vehicle roof, edges of the vehicle roof are provided with reinforcements in the form of preferably continuous profiles embedded in said layer of expanded plastic in sections of said edges provided for mounting on said body frame.

11. A vehicle roof according to claim 10, wherein a lower free-lying surface of the respective reinforcement abuts directly flush against said body frame.

12. A vehicle roof according to claim 10, wherein the vehicle roof is securely joined to said body frame by fastening screws which pass through a flange of said body frame and are threaded into the respective reinforcement.

13. A vehicle roof according to claim 4, wherein said expanded plastic is a PUR expanded plastic.

14. A vehicle roof, in particular a motor vehicle roof,

which is designed in a sandwiched configuration with a roof skin,

which is produced separately from a vehicle body, and

which can be mounted on and securely fixed to a body frame with its roof edges,

wherein said roof skin is provided with a roof opening for accommodating a slide cover and foamed with a layer of an expanded plastic, and

wherein a hose or tube piece is embedded in said layer of foamed plastic, by means of which water entering via anedge gap between said roof skin and said slide cover and intercepted by a sun roof frame fixed beneath said roof skin can be drained off to the outside.

15. A vehicle roof according to claim 14, wherein said hose or tube piece is embedded in a corner area of said sun roof frame in said layer of foamed plastic applied to said roof skin.

16. A vehicle roof according to claim 14, wherein said hose or tube piece is sealingly mounted on one side on a drain nozzle of said sun roof frame and ends on the other side with an opening at an outer edge of the vehicle roof.

17. A vehicle roof according to claim 14, wherein said hose or tube piece opens at an outer edge of the vehicle roof in a water drainage gutter which is formed between an outer edge of said roof skin and an opposing surface of said body frame.

18. A vehicle roof according to claim 14, wherein said layer of foamed plastic applied to said roof skin has a lip formed in the area of an outer edge of the vehicle roof, said lip extending, in the assembled state of the vehicle roof, up until a surface of said body frame facing said outer edge of the vehicle roof.

19. A vehicle roof according to claim 14, wherein, in said layer of foamed plastic applied to said roof skin, a reinforcement frame surrounding said roof opening is embedded, and wherein said sun roof frame is fixed to said reinforcement frame.

20. A vehicle roof according to claim 19, wherein said sun roof frame has a flange which abuts directly flush against a lower surface of said reinforcement frame and serves as means of securing said sun roof frame to said reinforcement frame.

21. A vehicle roof according to claim 14, wherein said expanded plastic is a PUR expanded plastic.

22. A vehicle roof, in particular a motor vehicle roof, which is formed in one piece with a roof lining and can be mounted on and securely fixed to a body frame,

wherein said roof lining is provided with sections for covering said body frame,

said sections having at least one preinstalled shock absorbing safety element to prevent body parts of vehicle passengers from striking said body frame and to moderate the results of such an impact, respectively.

23. A vehicle roof according to claim 22, wherein said shock absorbing safety element is made of a foamed plastic.

24. A vehicle roof according to claim 22, wherein said roof lining is formed by an inner shell made of a foamed plastic.

25. A vehicle roof according to claim 24, wherein said inner shell has an upper layer and a lower layer, said lower layer forming said sections for covering said body frame.

26. A vehicle roof according to claim 25, wherein said lower layer of said inner shell is designed with thicker walls in partial sections, these thickenings of said lower layer forming said shock absorbing safety elements.

27. A vehicle roof according to claim 25, wherein said inner shell has cavities between said upper layer and said lower layer which form air channels.

28. A vehicle roof according to claim 22, wherein an outer edge of said sections for covering said body frame is joined to a flange of said body frame by a piping.

29. A vehicle roof according to claim 22, wherein an outer edge of said section for covering said body frame is cut or preformed so that it precisely fits said body frame.

30. A vehicle roof according to claim 22, wherein said shock absorbing safety element is a preinstalled airbag.

31. A vehicle roof, comprising,

a metallic roof panel which is formed in one piece with a roof lining comprising an inner shell of a foamed plastic, said metallic roof panel defining an outer rim mountable to a vehicle body opening,

wherein elastic flexible projecting sections of said roof lining designed for lining a body frame project about an outer periphery defined by the vehicle roof and wherein harder foamed plastics are provided for sections of said inner shell within a periphery of said projecting sections, and

wherein desired flexing areas are provided to provide downward bending of said projecting sections and passage through said body opening during the assembly of the vehicle roof.