JP7613385B2 - Plastic roof mounting structure for vehicle and vehicle roof structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a plastic roof mounting structure for a vehicle and a vehicle roof structure.

Patent Document 1 below discloses a vehicle ceiling interior material that is equipped with a foamed molded body for the purpose of reducing noise inside the vehicle cabin and improving insulation. In this ceiling interior material, a foamed molded body is integrally molded on the outside of the vehicle cabin of a panel-shaped base material that faces the interior of the vehicle cabin.

JP 2011-225150 A

The ceiling interior material in Patent Document 1 is assembled by pressing it against a typical metal roof panel attached to the vehicle from the inside of the vehicle compartment. Therefore, there is room for improvement in ease of assembly.

Therefore, in order to improve the ease of installation, it is possible to make the roof panel out of resin and integrally mold this resin roof panel and the foamed molded body. The resin roof thus integrally molded can be adhered to the upper part of the vehicle body from outside the vehicle compartment, thereby improving the ease of installation.

Here, it is conceivable to further strengthen the connection between the vehicle body and the plastic roof by applying another structure in addition to adhesion. However, because plastic roofs are prone to expanding and contracting due to temperature changes, if the plastic roof is firmly fixed to the vehicle body, it is not possible to absorb the dimensional changes of the plastic roof caused by this expansion and contraction. Therefore, a structure is required that can maintain a good connection between the vehicle body and the plastic roof regardless of temperature changes.

The present invention takes the above into consideration and aims to provide a plastic roof mounting structure for vehicles and a vehicle roof structure that can maintain a good connection between the vehicle body and the plastic roof regardless of temperature changes.

The vehicle resin roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 1 comprises a bracket provided on a vehicle upper frame member arranged on the vehicle body and having a bracket-side through hole formed therein penetrating in the plate thickness direction, a resin main roof arranged on the upper side of the vehicle upper frame member such that a peripheral portion of the bracket-side through hole and a peripheral portion of the roof-side through hole overlap in the vertical direction, the bracket-side through hole being larger in diameter than the bracket-side through hole and penetrating in the plate thickness direction, and an adhesive for bonding the underside of the main roof to a base material of the vehicle upper frame member including the vehicle upper frame member. a stepped bolt having a threaded shaft portion, a fastening head formed above the shaft portion and having a smaller diameter than the roof side through hole, and a flange portion formed above the fastening head and having a larger diameter than the roof side through hole, the shaft portion being inserted into the bracket side through hole and fastened with the seat surface of the fastening head abutting against the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the bracket side through hole, a first gap being formed between the outer peripheral surface of the fastening head and the wall of the roof side through hole, and a second gap being formed between the lower surface of the flange portion and the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the roof side through hole.

According to the present invention described in claim 1, a resin main roof (resin roof) is disposed above the vehicle upper frame member arranged on the upper part of the vehicle body. Here, the lower surface of the main roof is bonded to the base material of the upper part of the vehicle body including the vehicle upper frame member by an adhesive.

A bracket is provided on the vehicle upper frame member. A bracket-side through hole is formed in this bracket, penetrating in the plate thickness direction. Meanwhile, a roof-side through hole that is larger in diameter than the bracket-side through hole and penetrating in the plate thickness direction is formed at the peripheral end of the main roof. This main roof is disposed above the vehicle upper frame member at a position where the peripheral portion of the bracket-side through hole and the peripheral portion of the roof-side through hole overlap in the vertical direction.

Here, a stepped bolt is fastened to the bracket. The stepped bolt has a threaded shaft portion and a fastening head portion formed on the upper side of the shaft portion, and is fastened with the shaft portion inserted into the bracket-side through-hole and the seat surface of the fastening head portion abutting against the upper surface of the periphery of the bracket-side through-hole.

The stepped bolt also has a flange portion on the upper side of the fastening head that is larger in diameter than the roof-side through hole. This means that even if the adhesive that bonds the main roof to the base material on the upper part of the vehicle body peels off, the flange portion of the stepped bolt will hook onto the periphery of the roof-side through hole, so the main roof will not fly off and will remain connected to the vehicle body.

The fastening head has a smaller diameter than the roof-side through hole, and a first horizontal gap is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the fastening head and the wall of the roof-side through hole. Furthermore, a second vertical gap is provided between the lower surface of the flange portion and the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the roof-side through hole. In other words, the stepped bolt does not fasten the main roof, and the peripheral end of the main roof can slide relative to the bracket. Therefore, even if the main roof expands or contracts due to temperature changes, the flange portion of the stepped bolt maintains the connected state of the main roof, and the roof-side through hole absorbs the dimensional change of the main roof.

The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 2 is the invention described in claim 1, in which the first gap and the second gap are filled with a sealer.

According to the present invention described in claim 2, the first gap between the outer peripheral surface of the fastening head and the wall of the roof-side through-hole is filled with a sealer. The second gap between the lower surface of the flange portion and the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the roof-side through-hole is also filled with a sealer. This closes the first gap and the second gap. This prevents water from entering the vehicle interior through the roof-side through-hole. At this time, the elasticity of the sealer does not hinder the expansion and contraction of the main roof.

The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 3 is the invention described in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the main roof is provided in a pair in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

According to the present invention described in claim 3, two main roofs are provided in the fore-aft direction. This reduces the fore-aft dimension per roof compared to when the main roof of the vehicle is constructed with only one roof, so that the change in the fore-aft dimension of the main roof caused by temperature changes can be kept small. Therefore, the change in the dimension of the main roof can be absorbed by the small roof-side through-hole, so that the strength and rigidity of the main roof can be improved. In addition, the main roof can be connected to the vehicle body by a stepped bolt with a small flange portion, so that the external design of the part of the vehicle body where the stepped bolt is attached can be improved.

The vehicle resin roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 4 is the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the main roof comprises a resin outer layer including the peripheral end, and a foamed resin inner layer provided under a predetermined area of the outer layer excluding the peripheral end.

According to the invention described in claim 4, an inner layer made of foamed resin is provided on the lower side of the outer layer, i.e., on the inside of the vehicle compartment. Therefore, compared to a case where the main roof is made of a single-layer resin panel, noise inside the vehicle compartment is reduced and the thermal insulation of the vehicle compartment is improved.

The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 5 is the invention described in claim 4, in which the outer end of the outer layer is covered with a sealer.

According to the present invention described in claim 5, water is prevented from entering the vehicle interior between the outer end of the outer layer and the upper part of the vehicle body.

The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 6 is the invention described in claim 4 or claim 5, in which the shoulder bolts are attached to at least the four corners of the outer layer.

According to the present invention described in claim 6, the four corners of the outer layer of the main roof are connected to the brackets by shoulder bolts. Therefore, even if the adhesive peels off, the connection between the main roof and the vehicle body is maintained at least at the four corners of the main roof. As a result, even if the adhesive peels off while driving, the main roof can be prevented from floating up due to the wind while driving, and the main roof can be reliably prevented from flying off.

The vehicle roof structure according to the present invention described in claim 7 has the vehicle resin roof mounting structure described in any one of claims 4 to 6, and is made of a resin harder than the outer layer, and has a pair of sub-roofs that are provided between the main roof and the front windshield and between the main roof and the rear windshield in a plan view, respectively, and hold the main roof, the front windshield, and the rear windshield, respectively.

According to the present invention described in claim 7, the front sub-roof holds the main roof and the front windshield provided on the front side of the vehicle. The rear sub-roof holds the main roof and the rear windshield provided on the rear side of the vehicle. These sub-roofs are formed of a resin that is harder than the outer layer of the main roof. Therefore, it is possible to ensure the strength and rigidity required to hold each windshield and the main roof while suppressing the mass of the vehicle compared to a metal roof.

As explained above, the vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 1 has the excellent effect of maintaining a good connection between the vehicle body and the roof regardless of temperature changes.

The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 2 has the excellent effect of absorbing dimensional changes in the main roof while ensuring watertightness of the roof-side through-hole.

The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 3 has the excellent effect of improving the strength and rigidity of the main roof while improving the appearance design of the part where the bolts are attached.

The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 4 has the excellent effect of reducing noise inside the vehicle cabin and improving the insulation of the vehicle cabin.

The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 5 has the excellent effect of ensuring watertightness at the outer end of the outer layer.

The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 6 has the excellent effect of maintaining the connection between the vehicle body and the roof even better.

The vehicle roof structure according to the present invention described in claim 7 has the excellent effect of ensuring the necessary strength and rigidity while suppressing the mass of the vehicle.

1 is a perspective view showing an upper part of a vehicle body to which a vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of the upper part of the vehicle body shown in FIG. 1. Fig. 3(A) is a diagram showing bolt fastening positions in the upper part of the vehicle body shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3(B) is an enlarged plan view showing part A in Fig. 3(A). 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 4 .

Below, using Figures 1 to 5, a vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to one embodiment of the present invention and a vehicle roof structure equipped with this vehicle plastic roof mounting structure will be described. Note that the arrow UP shown as appropriate in each figure indicates the upper side of the vehicle, the arrow FR indicates the front side of the vehicle, and the arrows LH and RH indicate the left and right sides of the vehicle. Furthermore, in the following description, when the directions front-rear, up-down, left-right, and inside-outside are used unless otherwise specified, they respectively refer to front-rear in the vehicle front-rear direction, up-down in the vehicle up-down direction, left-right in the vehicle left-right direction (vehicle width direction), and inside-outside of the passenger compartment.

First, the vehicle roof structure will be explained using Figures 1 and 2, and then the vehicle plastic roof mounting structure will be described in detail using Figures 2 to 5.

[Vehicle roof structure]
1 shows an upper body 12 of a vehicle 10 to which a plastic vehicle roof mounting structure according to this embodiment is applied. Metal roof side rails 20 serving as upper vehicle frame members extend in the front-rear direction at both ends of the upper body 12 in the vehicle width direction. An upper portion of a side member outer panel 14 (hereinafter referred to as "side member outer 14") is disposed above each roof side rail 20.

In addition, three metal roof reinforcements 30 extending in the vehicle width direction are provided between the pair of left and right roof side rails 20 at intervals in the front-rear direction. Hereinafter, the front roof reinforcement 30 will be referred to as the "front roof reinforcement 30F", the central roof reinforcement 30 will be referred to as the "central roof reinforcement 30C", and the rear roof reinforcement 30 will be referred to as the "rear roof reinforcement 30B". Each roof reinforcement 30 is welded to the roof side rails 20 (see FIG. 4).

Here, a sub-roof 40 having a substantially rectangular flat plate shape is provided in the area surrounded by the front roof RF 30F and the pair of left and right roof side rails 20 in a plan view. A sub-roof 40 is also provided in the area surrounded by the rear roof RF 30B and the pair of left and right roof side rails 20.

The front sub-roof 40 holds the upper end of the front windshield (not shown) located on the front side of the vehicle. Meanwhile, the rear sub-roof 40 holds the upper end of the rear windshield (not shown) located on the rear side of the vehicle. The above roof side rails 20, roof reinforcement 30, side member outer 14 and sub-roof 40 correspond to the "base material" in this invention.

Furthermore, a pair of front and rear main roofs 50 are provided between the pair of front and rear sub-roofs 40 in a plan view. The pair of main roofs 50 are each attached to the base material of the upper vehicle body 12 by a plastic roof mounting structure for a vehicle, which will be described in detail later. The vehicle roof structure according to this embodiment is configured to include the main roof 50 and the sub-roof 40.

The front main roof 50 is provided in an area surrounded by the front roof RF30F, the central roof RF30C, and a pair of left and right roof side rails 20 in a plan view. On the other hand, the rear main roof 50 is provided in an area surrounded by the rear roof RF30B, the central roof RF30C, and a pair of left and right roof side rails 20 in a plan view.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the surface cut along line X-X of the upper body 12 shown in Figure 1, viewed from the left side. As shown in Figure 2, the front roof reinforcement 30F is provided with an under reinforcement 32F that is generally hat-shaped and convex downward in cross section as viewed from the side of the vehicle. The front roof reinforcement 30F further includes an upper reinforcement 36F that has a bulging portion 37 whose front side bulges upward in a generally rectangular shape in cross section as viewed from the side of the vehicle. Flange portions 34F formed at the front and rear ends of the under reinforcement 32F and flange portions 38F formed at the front and rear ends of the upper reinforcement 36F are joined to each other by spot welding or the like to form a closed cross-sectional shape.

The central roof reinforcement 30C also includes an under reinforcement 32C having a generally hat-shaped configuration that is convex downward in cross section as seen from the side of the vehicle, and an upper reinforcement 36C having a generally hat-shaped configuration that is convex upward in cross section as seen from the side of the vehicle. The central roof reinforcement 30C is configured to have a closed cross-sectional shape by joining flange portions 34C formed at the front and rear ends of the under reinforcement 32C and flange portions 38C formed at the front and rear ends of the upper reinforcement 36C by spot welding or the like. A recess 39 that is concave downward in a generally rectangular shape in cross section as seen from the side of the vehicle is integrally formed and bent on the front side of the upper reinforcement 36C excluding the flange portion 38C.

In addition, the rear end of the front sub-roof 40 is formed with a step 42 that is bent downward in a generally L-shape in cross section as seen from the side of the vehicle, and a support portion 44 that is generally hat-shaped and convex downward in cross section as seen from the side of the vehicle, behind the step 42. The lower surface 44D of the support portion 44 is bonded to the upper surface 37U of the bulge portion 37 in the upper reinforcement 36F of the front roof RF 30F via a first adhesive G1. In other words, the rear end of the sub-roof 40 is supported by the front roof RF 30F.

Here, the front main roof 50 and the rear main roof 50 each have an outer layer 52 that, together with the sub-roof 40, constitutes the roof panel of the vehicle 10, and an inner layer 56 that is integrally joined to the underside of a predetermined area of the outer layer 52, excluding the peripheral end portion 52A. Each outer layer 52 is formed in a generally rectangular shape with the longitudinal direction being the fore-and-aft direction in a plan view.

The outer layer 52 is made of a weather-resistant resin material such as acrylonitrile ethylene propylene diene styrene (AES), and has a thickness of 1.0 mm to 2.5 mm. On the other hand, the inner layer 56 is made of a foamed molded body (such as urethane foam) and is formed to be thicker than the outer layer 52. Specifically, the thickness of the inner layer 56 varies depending on the location in the front-to-rear direction, but is set to 10 mm or more. As such, the main roof 50 is also called a "resin roof" because it is made up of a resin outer layer 52 and inner layer 56.

The sub-roof 40 is made of a resin material that is harder than the outer layer 52, such as glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP), and has a high strength and rigidity, and its thickness is 2.0 mm or more.

[Vehicle plastic roof mounting structure]
(Second adhesive G2 and third adhesive G3)

As shown in FIG. 4, a step portion 16 is formed on the inner side of the side member outer 14 in the vehicle width direction, which is bent downward into a generally L-shape in cross section as seen from the rear side of the vehicle. In addition, a support portion 18 is integrally formed on the inner end of the step portion 16 in the vehicle width direction, which is bent further downward into a generally L-shape.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, a second adhesive G2 is provided in an annular shape on the underside of the peripheral end 52A of the outer layer 52 of the main roof 50. The portion of the main roof 50 where the second adhesive G2 is provided is the outer layer adhesive portion 54.

As shown in FIG. 2, the front outer layer adhesive portion 54 is adhered to the upper surface 44U of the support portion 44 of the front sub-roof 40 by the second adhesive G2. The rear outer layer adhesive portion 54 is adhered to the upper surface 39U of the recess 39 of the upper reinforcement 36C in the central roof RF 30C by the second adhesive G2. Furthermore, the right outer layer adhesive portion 54 is adhered to the upper surface 18U of the support portion 18 of the right side member outer 14 by the second adhesive G2 (see FIG. 4). The left outer layer adhesive portion 54 is similar to the right outer layer adhesive portion 54, so a description thereof will be omitted.

A third adhesive G3 is provided in an annular shape on the underside of the inner layer 56. The portion of the main roof 50 where this third adhesive G3 is provided is the inner layer adhesive portion 58.

The front inner layer adhesive portion 58 is adhered by the third adhesive G3 to the flange portion 38F formed at the rear end of the upper reinforcement 36F in the front roof reinforcement 30F. The rear inner layer adhesive portion 58 is adhered by the third adhesive G3 to the flange portion 38C formed at the front end of the upper reinforcement 36C in the central roof reinforcement 30C. Furthermore, the left and right inner layer adhesive portions 58 are each adhered by the third adhesive G3 to the flange portion 28 (see FIG. 1) on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the roof side rail 20.

(Guide pin bracket 60)
Guide pin brackets 60 are provided on the underside of the inner layer 56 at the front and rear ends of the vehicle widthwise center. Each bracket 60 includes a substantially rectangular flat base portion 62, a cylindrical boss portion 64 integrally formed at the center of the underside of the base portion 62, and a plurality of flat ribs 68 that integrally connect the underside of the base portion 62 and the outer circumferential surface of the boss portion 64. Each bracket 60 is attached to the underside of the inner layer 56 by bonding the upper surface of the base portion 62 to the underside of the inner layer 56 with an adhesive material such as double-sided tape T. The boss portion 64 is reinforced by the plurality of ribs 68.

Each guide pin bracket 60 has a female thread 66 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the boss 64, and is configured to be able to screw in a substantially cylindrical guide pin 70. The guide pin 70 has a body 72 of a predetermined length with the vertical direction as the axial direction, and a male thread 76 formed on the upper end of the body 72. The male thread 76 of the guide pin 70 is screwed into the female thread 66 of the guide pin bracket 60. In other words, the guide pin 70 is configured to be detachably attached vertically to the underside of the inner layer 56 via the guide pin bracket 60.

A hole 33 is formed in the vehicle width direction center of the upper reinforcement 36F and the under reinforcement 32F of the front roof reinforcement 30F, penetrating in the vertical direction. In addition, a hole 35 is formed in the vehicle width direction center of the flange portions 34C, 38C that are joined to each other at the front end of the central roof reinforcement 30C, penetrating in the vertical direction. The main body portion 72 of the guide pin 70 is long enough to penetrate the holes 33, 35 and protrude downward below the lower surfaces of the under reinforcements 32F, 32C when the outer layer adhesive portion 54 and the inner layer adhesive portion 58 are respectively bonded.

The hole 33 formed in the front roof reinforcement 30F is an elongated hole with a generally elliptical shape that is long in the front-rear direction to absorb errors in the front-rear position of the guide pin bracket 60 attached to the underside of the inner layer 56. The inner diameter of the hole 33 in the vehicle width direction is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the main body 72 of the guide pin 70. The hole 35 formed in the central roof reinforcement 30C is a circular fitting hole with an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the main body 72 of the guide pin 70.

Therefore, the rear guide pin 70 is inserted from above into the hole 35 with almost no gap, and the front guide pin 70 is inserted from above into the hole 33 with a gap in the front-to-rear direction, so that the main roof 50 is positioned relative to the sub-roof 40 and each roof RF 30F, 30C.

In addition, the main roof 50 is configured such that, with each guide pin 70 inserted into each hole 33, 35 and positioned, the outer layer adhesive portion 54 is adhered with the second adhesive G2, and the inner layer adhesive portion 58 is adhered with the third adhesive G3. Each guide pin 70 is removed from each guide pin bracket 60 after the outer layer adhesive portion 54 and the inner layer adhesive portion 58 are adhered.

(First sealer S1)
Further, the outer edge 52B of the peripheral end 52A of the outer layer 52 is covered with a soft weather-resistant first sealer S1, together with a part of the upper surface of the step 42 of the sub-roof 40, a part of the upper surface of the upper reinforcement 36C in the central roof reinforcement 30C, and a part of the upper surface of the step 16 (see FIG. 4) of the side member outer 14. The first sealer S1 is a wet sealing material, and is provided in an annular shape along the outer edge 52B.

(Corner portion 80)
As shown in Fig. 3A, shoulder bolts 90 are attached to the four corners 80 located at each of the front and rear main roofs 50 in a plan view. Each corner 80 of the main roof 50 is formed on the peripheral end 52A of the outer layer 52 (see Fig. 4).

Figure 3(B) shows an enlarged plan view of part A in Figure 3(A) viewed from above. As shown in Figure 3(B) , the shoulder bolt 90 attached to the corner 80 at the right end and rear end of the rear main roof 50 is provided on the inside (left side) of the side member outer 14 in the vehicle width direction and forward of the rear sub-roof 40. The shoulder bolts 90 attached to the other corners 80 are similar to the shoulder bolt 90 attached to the corner 80 at the right end and rear end, so a description thereof will be omitted.

(Fastening bracket 26)
4 shows a cross-sectional view of a surface cut along line Y-Y in FIG. 3B from the rear side. As shown in FIG. 4, the roof side rail 20 includes an under reinforcement 22 having a generally hat-shaped shape that is convex downward when viewed from the vehicle rear side, and an upper reinforcement 24 having a generally hat-shaped shape that is convex downward when viewed from the vehicle rear side. The roof side rail 20 is configured to have a closed cross-sectional shape by joining flange portions 22A formed at both ends of the under reinforcement 22 in the vehicle width direction to the upper reinforcement 24 by spot welding or the like. The upper reinforcement 24 has a bent recess 24A that is generally rectangular and concave downward when viewed from the vehicle rear side, below the support portion 18 of the side member outer 14.

A fastening bracket 26 is provided on the top surface of the upper reinforcement 24 at a position corresponding to a corner 80 of the main roof 50. The fastening bracket 26 is generally hat-shaped with a generally U-shaped protruding portion 100 that is convex upward in a cross-sectional view seen from the rear side of the vehicle. The protruding portion 100 has an inner wall portion 102 that extends generally in the vertical direction on the inside in the vehicle width direction, and an outer wall portion 104 that extends generally in the vertical direction on the outside in the vehicle width direction with the lower side inclined outward in the vehicle width direction.

The fastening bracket 26 further includes an inner flange portion 106 extending from the lower end of the inner wall portion 102 toward the inside in the vehicle width direction, and an outer flange portion 108 extending from the lower end of the outer wall portion 104 toward the outside in the vehicle width direction. The outer flange portion 108 is longer in the vehicle width direction than the inner flange portion 106 and is formed lower than the inner flange portion 106.

The inner flange portion 106 and the outer flange portion 108 are each welded to the upper surface of the upper reinforcement 24 of the roof side rail 20. The lower surface of the outer flange portion 108 is welded to the upper surface of the recess 24A of the upper reinforcement 24.

In addition, in the protruding portion 100 of the fastening bracket 26, the inner wall portion 102 and the outer wall portion 104 are connected in the vehicle width direction by a fastening support portion 110. The corner portion 80 at the peripheral end portion 52A of the outer layer 52 of the main roof 50 is arranged on top of the fastening support portion 110 of the fastening bracket 26.

(Roof side through hole 80A and bracket side through hole 110A)
5, the fastening support portion 110 of the fastening bracket 26 is formed with a bracket-side through-hole 110A that is circular in plan cross section and penetrates in the plate thickness direction (approximately the up-down direction). Also, a roof-side through-hole 80A that is larger in diameter than the bracket-side through-hole 110A that penetrates in the plate thickness direction (approximately the up-down direction) and is circular in plan cross section is formed in a corner portion 80 of the main roof 50. Furthermore, in the upper reinforcement 24 of the roof side rail 20, an upper reinforcement-side through-hole 24B that is larger in diameter than the bracket-side through-hole 110A and smaller in diameter than the roof-side through-hole 80A and is circular in plan cross section is formed on the vehicle width direction inner side of the recess 24A.

The bracket side through hole 110A, the roof side through hole 80A, and the upper reinforcement side through hole 24B are formed at corresponding positions in a plan view. In other words, the main roof 50 is disposed at a position where the peripheral portion 110B of the bracket side through hole 110A and the peripheral portion 80B of the roof side through hole 80A overlap in the vertical direction.

(Step bolt 90)
In the fastening support portion 110 of the fastening bracket 26, a weld nut 120 having a female thread formed on the inner peripheral surface is welded to the lower surface of the peripheral portion 110B of the bracket-side through-hole 110A. Meanwhile, the above-mentioned stepped bolt 90 has a shaft portion 92 having a male thread formed on the outer peripheral surface. The stepped bolt 90 also has a cylindrical fastening head 94 on the upper side of the shaft portion 92. The stepped bolt 90 is fastened to the fastening bracket 26 by abutting the seat surface 94A of the fastening head 94 against the upper surface of the peripheral portion 110B of the bracket-side through-hole 110A with the shaft portion 92 inserted into the bracket-side through-hole 110A and screwed into the weld nut 120. The fastening head 94 has a smaller diameter than the roof-side through-hole 80A, and a first horizontal gap R1 is provided between the outer peripheral surface 94B of the fastening head 94 and the hole wall of the roof-side through-hole 80A.

Furthermore, the stepped bolt 90 has a bolt flange portion 96 above the fastening head 94, which is a disk-shaped flange portion with a larger diameter than the fastening head 94. This bolt flange portion 96 has a larger diameter than the roof-side through-hole 80A, taking into account manufacturing variations and the amount of thermal expansion. A second gap R2 in the vertical direction is provided between the lower surface 96A of the bolt flange portion 96 and the upper surface of the peripheral portion 80B of the roof-side through-hole 80A.

The stepped bolt 90 further includes a tool engagement head 98, which is generally hexagonal column-shaped and has a smaller diameter than the bolt flange portion 96, above the bolt flange portion 96. The stepped bolt 90 is fastened to the fastening bracket 26 by rotating the tool engagement head 98 with a tool such as a wrench. Note that the tool engagement head 98 is not limited to being generally hexagonal column-shaped, and may have any shape that can engage with a tool to fasten the stepped bolt 90.

(Second Sealer S2)
The hole wall of the roof-side through-hole 80A and the upper surface of the peripheral portion 80B, together with part of the upper surface of the peripheral portion 110B of the bracket-side through-hole 110A, the outer peripheral surface 94B of the fastening head 94, the lower surface 96A of the bolt flange portion 96, and part of the outer peripheral surface 96B of the bolt flange portion 96, are covered with a soft weather-resistant second sealer S2. In other words, the first gap R1 and the second gap R2 are filled with the second sealer S2, which is a wet sealing material.

(Actions and Effects of the Present Embodiment)
Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

According to the vehicle plastic roof mounting structure of this embodiment, a plastic main roof 50 is disposed above the roof side rail 20 arranged in the upper vehicle body 12. The outer layer 52 of the main roof 50 is bonded to the side member outer 14 of the upper vehicle body 12, the sub-roof 40, and the roof reinforcement 30 via a second adhesive G2. The inner layer 56 of the main roof 50 is bonded to the roof side rail 20 and the roof reinforcement 30 via a third adhesive G3.

The roof side rail 20 is also provided with a fastening bracket 26. A bracket-side through-hole 110A is formed in the fastening support portion 110 of the fastening bracket 26, penetrating in the vertical direction. Meanwhile, a roof-side through-hole 80A, which is larger in diameter than the bracket-side through-hole 110A and penetrates in the vertical direction, is formed in the peripheral end portion 52A of the main roof 50. This main roof 50 is disposed above the roof side rail 20 at a position where the peripheral portion 110B of the bracket-side through-hole 110A and the peripheral portion 80B of the roof-side through-hole 80A overlap in the vertical direction.

Here, a stepped bolt 90 is fastened to the fastening bracket 26. The stepped bolt 90 has a shaft portion 92 with a male thread formed on its outer circumferential surface, and a fastening head portion 94 formed on the upper side of the shaft portion 92. The stepped bolt 90 is fastened with the shaft portion 92 inserted into the bracket side through hole 110A and the seat surface 94A of the fastening head portion 94 abutting against the upper surface of the peripheral portion 110B of the bracket side through hole 110A.

The stepped bolt 90 further includes a bolt flange portion 96 on the upper side of the fastening head 94, the bolt flange portion 96 being larger in diameter than the roof-side through hole 80A. As a result, even if the second adhesive G2 and the third adhesive G3 are peeled off, the bolt flange portion 96 of the stepped bolt 90 engages the peripheral portion 80B of the roof-side through hole 80A of the main roof 50, so that the main roof 50 does not fly off and remains connected to the vehicle body. Therefore, the connection between the vehicle body and the main roof 50 can be maintained well regardless of temperature changes.

The fastening head 94 has a smaller diameter than the roof-side through hole 80A, and a first horizontal gap R1 is provided between the outer peripheral surface 94B of the fastening head 94 and the wall of the roof-side through hole 80A. Furthermore, a second vertical gap R2 is provided between the lower surface 96A of the bolt flange portion 96 and the upper surface of the peripheral portion 80B of the roof-side through hole 80A. In other words, the stepped bolt 90 does not fasten the main roof 50, and the peripheral end portion 52A of the main roof 50 can slide relative to the fastening bracket 26. Therefore, even if the main roof 50 expands or contracts due to temperature changes, the bolt flange portion 96 of the stepped bolt 90 maintains the connection state of the main roof 50, and the roof-side through hole 80A absorbs the dimensional change of the main roof 50.

The first gap R1 between the outer peripheral surface 94B of the fastening head 94 and the wall of the roof-side through-hole 80A is filled with a weather-resistant soft second sealer S2. The second gap R2 between the lower surface 96A of the bolt flange portion 96 and the upper surface of the peripheral portion 80B of the roof-side through-hole 80A is also filled with the second sealer S2. In other words, the first gap R1 and the second gap R2 are blocked by the second sealer S2. This prevents water from entering the passenger compartment of the vehicle 10 through the roof-side through-hole 80A. At this time, the second sealer S2 does not hinder the expansion and contraction of the main roof 50 due to its elasticity. This allows the main roof 50 to absorb dimensional changes while ensuring water-stopping properties.

Furthermore, a pair of main roofs 50 are provided in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. This reduces the fore-and-aft dimension of each main roof compared to when the main roof of the vehicle 10 is constructed with only one roof, so that the expansion and contraction of the main roof 50 in the fore-and-aft direction due to temperature changes can be kept small. Therefore, the small roof-side through-holes 80A can absorb the dimensional changes of the main roof 50, improving the strength and rigidity of the main roof 50. In addition, the main roof 50 can be connected to the vehicle body by a stepped bolt 90 with a small bolt flange portion 96, improving the appearance design of the portion of the vehicle body upper part 12 where the stepped bolt 90 is attached.

Furthermore, the main roof 50 is provided with an outer layer 52 made of AES, including the peripheral end 52A, and an inner layer 56 made of urethane foam, which is provided on the lower side (inside the vehicle compartment) of a predetermined area of the outer layer 52 excluding the peripheral end 52A. Therefore, compared to a case where the main roof is made of a single-layer resin panel, noise inside the vehicle compartment of the vehicle 10 is reduced and the insulation of the vehicle compartment is improved.

The outer end 52B of the peripheral end 52A of the outer layer 52 is covered by a weather-resistant soft first sealer S1, together with part of the upper surface of the step 42 of the sub-roof 40, part of the upper surface of the upper reinforcement 36C in the central roof RF 30C, and part of the upper surface of the left and right side member outers 14. This makes it possible to prevent water from entering the vehicle interior through the gap between the outer end 52B and the upper surface of the step 42 and the gap between the outer end 52B and the upper surface of the upper reinforcement 36C. In other words, it is possible to ensure water-stopping properties at the outer end 52B of the outer layer 52. At this time, the expansion and contraction of the main roof 50 is not hindered due to the elasticity of the first sealer S1.

Furthermore, in the outer layer of the main roof 50, the four corners 80 of the peripheral end 52A are connected to the fastening bracket 26 by shoulder bolts 90. Therefore, even if the second adhesive and the third adhesive peel off, the connection between the main roof 50 and the vehicle body is maintained at the four corners of the main roof 50. As a result, even if the second adhesive and the third adhesive peel off while driving, the main roof 50 can be prevented from floating up due to the wind while driving, and the main roof 50 can be reliably prevented from flying away. Therefore, the connection between the vehicle body and the main roof 50 can be maintained even better.

Furthermore, according to the vehicle roof structure of this embodiment, a front sub-roof 40 is provided between the front main roof 50 and the front windshield (not shown). The front sub-roof 40 holds the upper end of the front windshield (not shown). The front outer layer adhesive portion 54 of the front main roof 50 is adhered to the support portion 44 of the front sub-roof 40 by the second adhesive G2. That is, the front sub-roof 40 holds the front end of the front main roof 50. On the other hand, a rear sub-roof 40 is provided between the rear main roof 50 and the rear windshield (not shown). The rear sub-roof 40 holds the upper end of the rear windshield (not shown) and the rear end of the rear main roof 50. The sub-roof 40 is formed of GFRP, which is harder than the outer layer 52 formed of AES.

Therefore, the vehicle roof structure according to this embodiment can ensure the strength and rigidity required to hold the front windshield, rear windshield, and main roof 50 while reducing the mass of the vehicle 10 compared to a metal roof.

The stepped bolt 90 also has a bolt flange portion 96 with a larger diameter than the tool engagement head 98, which is generally hexagonal column-shaped. Therefore, for example, when rotating the tool engagement head 98 using a wrench, the wrench can be easily adjusted to the height of the tool engagement head 98. Furthermore, the stepped bolt 90 can be made lighter than when the outer circumferential surface of the tool engagement head 98 is flush with the outer circumferential surface of the bolt flange portion 96.

[Supplementary explanation of the above embodiment]
In the above embodiment, the fastening bracket 26 is welded to the roof side rail 20. However, the fastening bracket 26 is not limited thereto and may be welded to the roof reinforcement 30, for example, as long as it is provided on a vehicle upper frame member disposed in the vehicle body upper portion 12.

In the above embodiment, the outer layer 52 of the main roof 50 is bonded to the side member outer 14, the sub-roof 40, and the roof reinforcement 30, and the inner layer 56 is bonded to the roof side rail 20 and the roof reinforcement 30. However, this is not limiting, and the main roof 50 may be bonded to the base material of the upper vehicle body 12.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the first gap R1 and the second gap R2 are described as being filled with the second sealer S2, but other configurations may be used to ensure watertightness of the vehicle interior.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the main roof 50 is described as being provided in a pair in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, but this is not limited thereto, and the main roof may be made up of one piece or three or more pieces.

In the above embodiment, the main roof 50 is described as a two-layer resin roof including an outer layer 52 and an inner layer 56, but this is not limiting and a single-layer or three or more layer resin roof may be used.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the outer end 52B of the outer layer 52 is described as being covered with the first sealer S1, but other configurations may be used to ensure watertightness of the vehicle interior.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the stepped bolts 90 have been described as being attached to the four corners 80 of the front main roof 50 and the four corners 80 of the rear main roof 50. This is not limiting, and the stepped bolts 90 may be attached to other positions on the peripheral end 52A of the main roof 50. Furthermore, stepped bolts may be attached to five or more locations on each of the front and rear main roofs 50.

In the above embodiment, a sub-roof 40 made of resin that is harder than the outer layer 52 is provided on the front and rear sides of the main roof 50, but this is not limited thereto, and a sub-roof made of metal may also be provided.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the shoulder bolt 90 has been described as having a tool engagement head 98 on the upper side of the bolt flange portion 96 that has a smaller diameter than the bolt flange portion 96. However, this is not limited to this, and the outer circumferential surface of the tool engagement head may be flush with the outer circumferential surface of the bolt flange portion.

10 Vehicle 12 Upper part of vehicle body 14 Side member outer panel (base material)
20 Roof side rail (vehicle upper frame member) (base material)
26 Fastening bracket (bracket)
30 Roof reinforcement (base material)
40 Sub-roof 50 Main roof 52 Outer layer 52A Peripheral end 52B Outer end 56 Inner layer 80 Corner 80A Roof side through hole 80B Peripheral edge of roof side through hole 90 Step bolt 92 Shaft 94 Fastening head 94A Seat 94B Outer peripheral surface of fastening head 96 Bolt flange (flange)
96A Underside of bolt flange (underside of flange)
110A: bracket side through hole 110B: peripheral portion of bracket side through hole G2: second adhesive (adhesive)
G3 Third adhesive (adhesive)
R1 First gap R2 Second gap S1 First sealer (sealer)
S2 Second Sheila (Sheila)

Claims (7)

a bracket provided on a vehicle upper frame member disposed on an upper portion of a vehicle body, the bracket having a bracket-side through hole penetrating therethrough in a plate thickness direction;
a resin main roof having a peripheral end portion formed with a roof-side through hole having a diameter larger than that of the bracket-side through hole and penetrating in a plate thickness direction, the main roof being disposed above the vehicle upper frame member such that a peripheral portion of the bracket-side through hole and a peripheral portion of the roof-side through hole overlap in the vertical direction;
an adhesive that bonds a lower surface of the main roof to a base material of the upper part of the vehicle body including the vehicle upper frame member;
a stepped bolt comprising a shank having a thread, a fastening head formed above the shank and having a smaller diameter than the roof-side through hole, and a flange formed above the fastening head and having a larger diameter than the roof-side through hole, the shank being inserted into the bracket-side through hole and fastened with the seating surface of the fastening head abutting against the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the bracket-side through hole, the stepped bolt having a first gap between an outer peripheral surface of the fastening head and a hole wall of the roof-side through hole and a second gap between a lower surface of the flange portion and the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the roof-side through hole;
A vehicle plastic roof mounting structure having the above structure. The first gap and the second gap are filled with a sealer.
The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to claim 1. The main roof is provided in a pair in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.
3. The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to claim 1 or 2. The main roof is
an outer layer made of resin and including the peripheral end portion;
an inner layer made of a foamed resin provided under a predetermined region of the outer layer excluding the peripheral end portion;
Equipped with
The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The outer end of the outer layer is covered with a sealer.
The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to claim 4. The shoulder bolts are attached to at least four corners of the outer layer,
6. The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to claim 4 or 5. A vehicle resin roof mounting structure according to any one of claims 4 to 6,
a pair of sub-roofs that are made of a resin harder than the outer layer and that are provided between the main roof and a front windshield and between the main roof and a rear windshield in a plan view, and that hold the main roof, the front windshield, and the rear windshield, respectively;
A vehicle roof structure comprising: