JP3919410B2 - Mounting structure for automobile roof rails - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mounting structure for an automobile roof rail.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, the roof rail is used to form a simple load receiving table on the ceiling surface of the automobile by installing a cross bar between the roof rails. Since the roof rail has an excessively large projecting dimension from the ceiling surface of the vehicle body, a sense of design discomfort increases, and recently, there is an increasing demand for a low profile.
[0003]
In order to achieve a reduction in the height of the roof rail, it is effective to accommodate the fixing portion of the roof rail in a concave groove formed in the ceiling surface of the automobile. For example, the configuration is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2877245. ing. In this conventional example, the roof rail includes a rail body formed of aluminum or the like, and a liner is slidably mounted in a guide groove formed in a bottom wall portion of the rail body. The liner is provided with a bolt insertion hole.
[0004]
The rail body is fixed by tightening a nut from the back surface side of the roof panel to a stud bolt that is fitted in a concave hole provided on the upper surface of the liner and whose head is fitted and prevented from rotating. The liner is slidably attached to the rail body, and if it is only fixed to the ceiling surface, it cannot prevent rattling noises when traveling, etc. A pressure-contacting bearing surface is provided.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described conventional example, the rail body is configured to press the bearing surface against the ceiling surface while calling the liner and the rail body downward at the stud bolt fastening portion, and thus has the following problems. That is, the rail body is in a pressure contact state with the roof panel at three points, that is, the stud bolt fastening portion and the left and right bearing surfaces at a cross-sectional position perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rail body at the stud bolt fastening portion. On the other hand, the ceiling surface is often formed with a gently curved surface, and in the conventional example with three points as support points, if a dimensional error or the like occurs, the operation at the time of fastening the stud bolt to any one point The force is concentrated and loaded, causing panel distortion and the like.
[0006]
Further, a liner for fastening the rail body needs to be interposed between the rail body and the bottom wall of the groove, and the liner has a height sufficient to accommodate the head of the stud bolt. Therefore, the installation height of the rail body becomes high, and it is not possible to sufficiently meet the demand for low profile. In order to reduce the height, it is possible to screw the stud bolt directly into the rail body. However, when manufacturing the rail body using extrusion molding, etc., it is possible to make the cross-sectional shape over the entire length. This is necessary, and the threaded portion of the stud bolt needs to be formed over the entire length, so that there is a problem that the weight of the rail body becomes excessive.
[0007]
In addition, because the side of the groove is sealed in the cross-sectional direction by the bearing surface of the rail body, the water that has once entered the groove stays in the groove for a long time without evaporating, and the panel There is a problem of causing corrosion. To prevent rainwater from entering the grooves, it is effective to completely close the end of the groove in the vehicle length direction. However, since a special means is required for closing the groove, the structure is complicated. become.
[0008]
The present invention was made to solve the above drawbacks, and an object thereof is to provide a mounting structure of a roof rail for a motor vehicle which can reduce the projecting distance from the ceiling surface as much as possible [0009]
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automotive roof rail mounting structure that has high mounting strength and that does not cause deformation of the roof panel.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, the object is
In the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body rather long, automotive bottom wall 1a to secure the roof rail 3 to the vehicle body ceiling surface 2 provided with a groove 1 is inclined become gradually lower toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction side from the vehicle width center side The roof rail mounting structure,
The rail body 4 of the roof rail 3 is formed in a closed cross-sectional structure having an equal cross-sectional shape over the entire length, and has a concave groove with a bottom portion that is gradually lowered from the vehicle width center side toward the vehicle width outer side. 1 by contacting the bottom wall 1a of the groove 1 with a bolt, and by supporting the outer side edge of the vehicle width on the ceiling surface 2 at the periphery of the groove 1 This is achieved by providing a mounting structure for an automobile roof rail that is attached to the vehicle body ceiling surface 2 with the edges open outwardly and supported at two points in the cross-sectional direction.
[0011]
In a state where the rail body 4 of the roof rail 3 is fixed to the ceiling surface 2, only the outer lateral side edge of the rail body 4 is in contact with the ceiling surface 2, and as shown in FIG. At the cross-sectional position orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the rail body 4, two points of the bolt fastening portion and the bearing surface 4 a are supported on the ceiling surface 2. Supports two points in the cross-sectional direction, does not abut the other side edge of the rail body 4 against the ceiling surface 2, and does not bear a load mechanically, thereby relatively flexibly following the error of the vehicle body ceiling surface 2. However, the rail body 4 can be fixed.
[0012]
Further, since each rail body 4 is supported on the ceiling surface 2 at the side edge on the outer side of the vehicle width, the resistance force against falling toward the center of the vehicle width is the resistance force against falling toward the outside of the vehicle width. Although it is lower than that, there is no decrease in strength when loading the load. That is, the rail main body 4 is mounted in parallel with both sides in the vehicle width direction, and when loading a load, as shown by a chain line in FIG. In a state where the cross bar 9 is installed, the rail body 4 and the cross bar 9 constitute a portal structure, and the rolling of one rail body 4 toward the center in the vehicle width direction is the bearing surface of the other rail body 4 Since it is supported by 4a, even if a load in the vehicle width direction is applied to the load, the rail bodies 4 can complement each other and resist the load in the rolling direction.
[0013]
Furthermore, a drip prevention groove for preventing raindrops from dropping from the ceiling surface 2 to the window can be used for the groove 1. Since the drip prevention groove is often configured as a parting groove that hides the seam of the roof panel, the bottom wall 1a of the concave groove 1 has a main roof panel 2a that forms the center of the ceiling and an upper part of the side surface of the vehicle. The roof side panel 2b which comprises is superposed | polymerized and joined. For this reason, the bottom wall 1a of the concave groove 1 has higher rigidity than the general ceiling surface 2, and a special reinforcing material is obtained by directly fixing the rail body 4 to the bottom wall 1a of the concave groove 1. A desired mounting strength can be obtained without using the. In addition, the roof side panel 2b, which is the rising surface, has a high rigidity against a vertical load with respect to the main roof panel 2a close to a horizontal plane, and the rail body 4 is supported only on the roof side panel 2b side and takes a reaction force in the rolling direction. Since no load is applied to the main roof panel 2a, the roof panel is not inadvertently deformed by tightening the stud bolt 6 or moving the load.
[0014]
Moreover, the mounting structure of the roof rail for automobiles can be configured such that the groove 1 is open to the outside in the vehicle width center direction. Since the outside air is always introduced into the groove 1 by opening the groove 1 to the outside, the rainwater in the groove 1 does not stay for a long time and the panel is corroded. do not do.
[0015]
Furthermore, the mounting structure of the automobile roof rail is
A cap body 5 fixed to both ends of the rail body 4;
The cap body 5 can be configured to be connected and fixed to the rail body 4 by a stud bolt 6 that fixes the rail body 4 to the groove 1.
[0016]
By using the stud bolt 6 for fixing to the concave groove 1 of the rail body 4 to connect the cap body 5 and the rail body 4, a means for fixing the cap body 5 separately becomes unnecessary, and the structure is simple. Become. In particular, since the cap body 5 functions as an end treatment member of the rail body 4, for example, when the adhesive is fixed using an adhesive or the like, the adhesive does not protrude to the outside. Can be configured beautifully.
[0017]
In order to reduce the height,
A hollow rail body 4 fixed to the vehicle body ceiling surface 2 of the automobile, and cap bodies 5 fixed to both ends of the rail body 4;
A fixing arm 8 holding a nut 7 at the tip protrudes from the cap body 5, and an automobile roof rail 3 that can be fixed to the vehicle body ceiling surface 2 by a stud bolt 6 screwed into the nut 7 is used. Can do.
[0018]
The roof rail 3 is formed by fixing cap bodies 5 to both ends of the rail body 4, and the cap bodies 5 are provided with fixed arms 8 that are inserted into the hollow portions of the rail body 4 from both ends of the rail body 4. The fixed arm 8 can hold the nut 7 while preventing it from rotating, and the stud bolt 6 can be erected on the rail body 4 by screwing the stud bolt 6 into the nut 7. A stud bolt 6 can be inserted into the automobile ceiling surface 2 through a bolt insertion hole provided in the roof panel, and a nut can be fastened and fixed from the back side.
[0019]
Thus, the scan Taddoboruto 6 to become a state of being screwed directly to the rail body 4 can be disposed bottom of the rail body 4 as much as possible as close to the bottom wall 1a of the groove 1, low profile Can be achieved. Further, since the stud bolt 6 is screwed into the cap body 5 side, it is not necessary to provide a threaded portion of the stud bolt 6 in the rail body 4. For this reason, even if it is a case where the rail main body 4 is formed in an equal cross-sectional shape over the entire length, it is not necessary to form the screwed portion over the entire length of the rail main body 4, so that the weight can be reduced.
[0020]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 5 shows a ceiling portion of an automobile to which the automobile roof rail 3 is attached. On the ceiling surface 2 of the automobile, concave grooves 1 continuous in the vehicle length direction are provided in parallel on both sides in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the ceiling surface 2 of the automobile is composed of a main roof panel 2a that forms a general ceiling surface, a roof side panel 2b that forms a side surface of the ceiling, and an inner panel 2c. Joined at the bottom wall 1 a of the groove 1. The concave groove 1 functions as a drip prevention groove for preventing dripping of raindrops from the ceiling surface 2 to the window 10 and also functions as a parting part for the joint portion of the panel alone.
[0021]
The roof rail 3 is disposed along the concave groove 1 and is formed by fixing cap bodies 5 to both ends of the elongated rail body 4. The rail body 4 is manufactured by, for example, extruding an aluminum material, and is hollow and formed in an equal cross-sectional shape over the entire length. The rail body 4 can be given a curvature by using a bending machine as desired.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 3, the rail body 4 has a hook engaging protrusion 11 that protrudes toward the center of the vehicle width on the side wall, and can connect an attachment 12 for fixing the crossbar 9. Further, the rail body 4 includes a panel fixing portion 13 on the bottom wall portion, and a support surface 4a to the ceiling surface 2 is formed from the upper end of the panel fixing portion 13 toward the vehicle width outward side. The panel fixing portion 13 is formed at a height slightly lower than the depth of the groove 1 and is accommodated in the groove 1 when fixed to the groove 1. In the illustrated example, the hook engagement protrusion 11 is provided in the vehicle width center direction to reduce the height, but the crossbar 9 or the crossbar fixing attachment 12 is attached to the ceiling surface 2 of the rail body 4. It is also possible to provide a connecting means.
[0023]
In this embodiment, the front cap body 5A (cap body 5) is at the vehicle body front side (left side in FIG. 2) end of the rail body 4, and the rear cap body is at the vehicle body rear side (right side in FIG. 2). 5B (cap body 5) is fixed. The front cap body 5A is formed by connecting a cover 15 to a cap base 14 formed of a synthetic resin material. A flanged stud bolt 14a is embedded on the back surface of the cap base 14, and the rail body 4 side end portion is also provided. The projection 16 is inserted into the hollow portion of the rail body 4. The insertion protrusion 16 includes a fixed arm 8 that abuts against the bottom inner wall of the panel fixing portion 13 when inserted into the hollow portion of the rail body 4.
[0024]
A nut holding portion 8a for press-fitting and holding a square nut 7 is formed in a cutout shape at the distal end portion of the fixed arm 8, and a stud bolt 6 is screwed into the nut 7 as shown in FIG. The stud bolt 6 is provided with a hexagonal flange 6a so that the stud bolt 6 can be tightened. The nut 7 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the vehicle length direction so that the nut 7 does not idle in the nut holding portion 8a when the stud bolt 6 is tightened.
[0025]
As shown in FIG. 4A, the cover 15 is coupled to the cap base 14 by elastically locking the locking hook 15 a in the locking hole 14 b formed in the cap base 14. The cover 15 gradually increases in opening area from the tip toward the rail body 4 and surrounds the outer periphery of the rail body 4 at the joint with the rail body 4 as shown in FIG.
[0026]
On the other hand, the rear cap body 5B is formed in a shape whose bottom is opened by a synthetic resin material, and as shown in FIG. 2, the insertion protrusion 16 inserted into the hollow portion of the rail body 4 from the contact surface 17 with the rail. Projected. Similarly to the front cap body 5A described above, the insertion protrusion 16 includes a fixing arm 8 that abuts against the bottom inner wall of the panel fixing portion 13 when inserted into the hollow portion of the rail body 4. The stud bolt 6 is screwed into the rectangular nut 7 that is press-fitted and held in the nut holding portion 8a formed in the above.
[0027]
The automobile roof rail 3 configured as described above is fixed to the automobile ceiling surface 2 using the stud bolt 6 screwed into the nut 7. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a fixed state to the ceiling surface 2, and the stud bolt 6 is inserted into the ceiling through a bolt insertion hole formed in the bottom wall 1 a of the concave groove 1 and is tightened by a nut 18 from the ceiling rear surface side. . An elastic sheet 19 is interposed between the bottom wall 1a of the groove 1 and the hexagonal flange 6a of the stud bolt 6 to prevent water from entering from the bolt insertion hole.
[0028]
In a state in which the rail body 4 is fixed, the support surface 4a abuts against the ceiling surface 2 on the periphery of the groove 1, more precisely, the surface of the roof side panel 2b via the packing 20 formed of an elastic material. The concave groove 1 on the vehicle width center side is opened outward.
[0029]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), the front cap body 5A uses a flanged stud bolt 14a screwed into the cap base 14, and the rear cap body 5B is shown in FIG. 4 (b). In addition, the stud bolts 22 fixed to the clamp band 21 are used to fix each to the bottom wall 1a of the concave groove 1. Since the cap body 5 (5A, 5B) is fixed to the rail body 4 in a state where the rail body 4 is fixed, it is not necessary to fix it to the ceiling surface 2 in particular, but it is fixed to the ceiling surface 2 alone. Thus, rattling of the cap body 5 can be completely prevented.
[0030]
The clamp band 21 is formed by bending an elastic plate material such as a spring plate material into a shape substantially along the inner wall surface of the rear cap body 5B, and is joined in the vicinity of the top portion. The clamp band 21 is provided with a locking opening 21a that engages with a locking claw 23 protruding from the inner wall of the rear cap body 5B. Easy to install. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 24 denotes a sheet for preventing water leakage from the bolt insertion hole.
[0031]
As described above, the case where the cap bodies 5A and 5B having different configurations are attached to both ends of the rail body 4 has been described, but either one of the cap bodies 5 can be attached to both ends of the rail body 4.
[0032]
Therefore, in this embodiment, in a state where the cross bar 9 is connected between the opposing rail bodies 4, 4, the rail body 4 tilts by a small angle even if a load in the rolling direction is applied to the rail body 4 by the loaded luggage. Then, the bearing surface 4a of one of the rail bodies 4 is pressed against the roof side panel 2b to bear the load. The elastic sheet 19 interposed between the rail main body 4 and the bottom wall 1a of the concave groove 1 absorbs a slight tilting operation of the rail main body 4 and prevents the generation of a twisting force on the concave bottom wall 1a. Further, since the bearing surface 4a is formed over the entire length of the rail body 4, the stress per unit area on the roof side panel 2b is low, and the roof side panel 2b is not deformed by a load. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle width center side of the groove 1 is opened outward over the entire length, and air can flow into the groove 1 from the opening portion 1 b. For this reason, rainwater or the like in the groove 1 does not evaporate and stay in the groove 1, so that the groove 1 does not corrode.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the projecting dimension from the ceiling surface can be made as low as possible, the mounting strength is high, and the roof panel is not deformed. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
1A and 1B are cross-sectional views illustrating a mounting portion of a rail body, in which FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 1A-1A in FIG. 5 and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 1B-1B in FIG.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a roof rail.
3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3A-3A in FIG.
4A and 4B are cross-sectional views showing a state in which the cap body is fixed to the ceiling surface. FIG. 4A is a view showing the front cap body, and FIG. 4B is a view showing the rear cap body.
FIG. 5 is a perspective explanatory view showing a ceiling part of an automobile.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Concave groove 1a Bottom wall 2 Ceiling surface 3 Roof rail 4 Rail main body 5 Cap body 6 Stud bolt 7 Nut 8 Fixed arm

Claims (2)

In the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body rather long, the attachment of automotive roof rail in which the bottom wall to secure the roof rail to the vehicle body roof surface with a groove that is inclined so gradually decreases toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction side from the vehicle width center side structure Because
The rail body of the roof rail is formed in a closed cross-sectional structure having an equal cross-sectional shape over the entire length, and a bottom portion that inclines so as to gradually decrease from the vehicle width center side toward the vehicle width outer side is provided at the bottom of the groove. It is abutted against the wall and bolted, and the side edge of the vehicle width outward side is supported on the ceiling surface of the periphery of the groove, thereby opening the edge of the groove in the vehicle center direction outward. A mounting structure for an automobile roof rail that is supported at two points in the cross-sectional direction and is attached to the ceiling surface of the vehicle body. A cap body fixed to both ends of the rail body;
The cap body is provided with a fixed arm that holds a nut at the tip,
The roof rail mounting structure for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the fixing arm is inserted into a hollow portion of the rail body, and a stud bolt for fixing the rail body to the concave groove is screwed into the nut.

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