JP7613384B2 - 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 includes a bracket provided on a vehicle upper frame member arranged on the vehicle body and having a bracket-side through hole formed therein that penetrates in the plate thickness direction, a resin main roof having a roof-side through hole formed at its peripheral end that penetrates in the plate thickness direction and arranged on the upper side of the vehicle upper frame member so that the peripheral portion of the bracket-side through hole and the peripheral portion of the roof-side through hole overlap in the vertical direction, an adhesive that bonds the underside of the main roof to a base material of the vehicle upper part including the vehicle upper frame member, and the bracket and the roof-side through hole are disposed on the upper side of the vehicle upper frame member. The clip includes a shaft portion inserted through the racket side through hole and the roof side through hole, a head portion with a larger diameter than the roof side through hole arranged above the roof side through hole, and a claw portion with a larger diameter than the bracket side through hole arranged to abut against the lower surface of the peripheral portion of the bracket side through hole, and is arranged with a gap between the peripheral surface of the shaft portion and the hole wall of the bracket side through hole, and a stretchable member having stretchability sandwiched between the lower surface of the head of the clip 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 is formed in the peripheral end of the main roof, penetrating in the plate thickness direction. 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, the shaft of the clip is inserted through the bracket-side through hole and the roof-side through hole. The clip also has a claw portion with a larger diameter than the bracket-side through hole. This claw portion is disposed on the underside of the periphery of the bracket-side through hole when the clip is in the assembled state. In other words, the plastic roof mounting structure for vehicles according to the present invention is configured so that the claw portion hooks onto the underside of the bracket to prevent the clip from slipping out upward (to the outside of the vehicle compartment).

The clip also has a head with a larger diameter than the roof-side through hole. This head is located above the roof-side through hole when the clip is in an assembled state. As a result, even if the adhesive that bonds the main roof to the base material on the upper part of the vehicle body peels off, the peripheral portion of the roof-side through hole is hooked onto the head of the clip, so the main roof will not fly off and will remain connected to the vehicle body.

In addition, a stretchable elastic member is sandwiched between the underside of the head of the clip and the upper surface of the periphery of the roof-side through-hole in the main roof. At this time, the claws of the clip abut against the underside of the periphery of the bracket-side through-hole. In other words, the clip is attached in a state where the main roof and bracket are sandwiched vertically. At this time, because the clip is attached via the stretchable member, excessive fixation of the main roof to the bracket by the clip is suppressed.

In this way, the main roof is loosely attached to the bracket, so that the peripheral edge of the main roof can slide relative to the bracket. The clip is also arranged with a gap between the hole wall of the bracket-side through-hole and the peripheral surface of the clip's shaft. Therefore, when the main roof expands and contracts in the planar direction due to temperature changes, the clip moves together with the elastic member in response to the movement of the peripheral edge of the main roof, with the claw portion abutting against the underside of the peripheral portion of the bracket-side through-hole. This absorbs dimensional changes in the main roof while maintaining the connection between the main roof and the vehicle body.

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 main roof is rectangular in plan view, and the bracket-side through hole is an elongated hole whose longitudinal direction is along the longitudinal direction of the main roof.

According to the present invention described in claim 2, when the main roof expands and contracts due to a change in temperature, the change in the dimension of the main roof in the longitudinal direction is greater than the change in the dimension in the transverse direction.

The bracket-side through hole is an elongated hole whose longitudinal direction is along the longitudinal direction of the main roof. In other words, the bracket-side through hole is long in the direction in which the dimensional change of the main roof is greatest, and short in the direction in which the dimensional change of the main roof is least. This allows the expansion and contraction of the main roof due to temperature changes to be efficiently absorbed with a minimum hole that takes into account the range of movement of the clip shaft.

The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 3 is the invention described in claim 2, in which the claws of the clip are provided in a pair along the short side direction of the main roof.

According to the present invention described in claim 3, the claws of the clip that contact the underside of the peripheral portion of the bracket-side through hole are provided in a pair along the short direction of the main roof. In other words, the claws of the clip are arranged along the direction in which the dimensional change of the main roof is small. Therefore, when the main roof expands and contracts due to temperature changes, the amount of movement of the clip in the direction in which the pair of claws are provided is smaller than the amount of movement of the clip in the direction perpendicular to the pair of claws.

The short side of the elongated bracket-side through hole coincides with the short side of the main roof. In other words, the pair of claws on the clip are disposed in contact with the underside of the peripheral portion in the short side of the bracket-side through hole. This allows the claws to be stably hooked onto the bracket while minimizing the outer diameter of the claws.

The vehicle plastic 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 elastic member closes the gap between the underside of the head of the clip and the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the roof-side through-hole in the main roof.

According to the invention described in claim 4, the gap between the underside of the head of the clip and the upper surface of the periphery of the roof-side through-hole in the main roof is blocked by the elastic member. This prevents water from entering the vehicle interior through the roof-side through-hole.

The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 5 is the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 4, 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 5, two main roofs are provided in the fore-and-aft direction. This reduces the fore-and-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-and-aft dimension of the main roof caused by temperature changes can be kept small. Therefore, the small bracket-side through-hole can absorb the change in the dimension of the main roof. This also allows the roof-side through-hole to be small, improving the strength and rigidity of the main roof. Furthermore, the dimensions of the head of the clip can be reduced. This improves the appearance design of the part of the vehicle body to which the clip is attached.

The vehicle resin roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 6 is the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 5, 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 present invention described in claim 6, 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 7 is the invention described in claim 6, in which the outer end of the outer layer is covered with a sealer.

According to the present invention described in claim 7, 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 8 is the invention described in claim 6 or claim 7, in which the clips are attached to at least the four corners of the outer layer.

According to the present invention described in claim 8, the four corners of the outer layer of the main roof are connected to the brackets by clips. 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 9 has the vehicle resin roof mounting structure described in any one of claims 6 to 8, and has a pair of sub-roofs that are formed of a resin harder than the outer layer, and 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 9, 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 plastic 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 efficiently absorbing dimensional changes in the main roof caused by temperature changes.

The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure of the present invention described in claim 3 has the excellent effect of absorbing dimensional changes in the main roof caused by temperature changes with small clips while stably connecting the main roof to the bracket.

The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 4 has the excellent effect of ensuring watertightness in the roof-side through-hole.

The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 5 has the excellent effect of improving the strength and rigidity of the main roof while improving the appearance design of the part where the clip is attached.

The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to the present invention described in claim 6 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 7 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 8 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 9 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 an assembly position of a clip 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). FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the clip shown in FIGS. 3(A) and 3(B). 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a main portion of FIG. 5 . 3B is an enlarged view of a main portion showing a cross section taken along line Z-Z in FIG.

Below, using Figures 1 to 7, 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, when the directions front-rear, up-down, left-right, and inside-outside are used in the following description unless otherwise specified, they refer to front-rear in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, up-down in the up-down direction of the vehicle, left-right in the left-right direction of the vehicle (vehicle width direction), and inside-outside of the passenger compartment, respectively.

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 3 to 7.

[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. 5).

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. 5, 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 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 5, 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. 5). 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 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.

(Sheila S.)
Additionally, the exterior end 52B of the peripheral end 52A of the outer layer 52 is covered with a weather-resistant, soft sealer S, 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 reinforcement 30C, and part of the upper surface of the step 16 (see FIG. 5) of the side member outer 14. The sealer S is a wet sealing material, and is provided in an annular shape along the exterior end 52B.

(Corner portion 80)
As shown in Fig. 3A, in the pair of front and rear main roofs 50, resin clips 90 are attached to the four corners 80 located at each of the four corners in a plan view. The clips 90 are made of a weather-resistant resin material such as polyacetal (POM). Each corner 80 of the main roof 50 is formed on the peripheral edge 52A of the outer layer 52 (see Fig. 5).

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 clip 90 attached to the corner 80 at the right end and rear end of the rear main roof 50 is provided on the inner side (left side) in the vehicle width direction than the side member outer 14 and forward of the rear sub-roof 40. The clips 90 attached to the other corners 80 are similar to the clip 90 attached to the corner 80 at the right end and rear end, so a description thereof will be omitted.

(Clip mounting bracket 26)
5 shows a cross-sectional view of a surface cut along line Y-Y in FIG. 3B from the rear side. As shown in FIG. 5, the roof side rail 20 includes an under reinforcement 22 having a generally hat-shaped shape that is convex downward when viewed from the rear side of the vehicle, and an upper reinforcement 24 having a generally hat-shaped shape that is convex downward when viewed from the rear side of the vehicle. 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 rear side of the vehicle, below the support portion 18 of the side member outer 14.

A clip mounting bracket 26 that is substantially Z-shaped in cross section as seen from the rear of the vehicle is provided on the top surface of the upper reinforcement 24 at a position corresponding to the corner 80 of the main roof 50. The clip mounting bracket 26 has an outer flange portion 26A welded to the top surface of the recess 24A of the upper reinforcement 24 of the roof side rail 20.

The clip mounting bracket 26 is integrally formed with an outer wall portion 26B that extends upward and inward in the vehicle width direction from the inner end of the outer flange portion 26A in the vehicle width direction. The clip mounting bracket 26 further includes a fastening support portion 26C that extends inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper end of the outer wall portion 26B. The corner portion 80 at the peripheral end portion 52A of the outer layer 52 of the main roof 50 is disposed above the fastening support portion 26C of the clip mounting bracket 26.

As shown in FIG. 7, the clip mounting bracket 26 has a generally hat-shaped cross section that is convex upward when viewed from the side of the vehicle. The clip mounting bracket 26 has a front wall portion 26D extending forward and downward from the front end of the fastening support portion 26C, and a front flange portion 26E extending further forward from the lower end of the front wall portion 26D. The clip mounting bracket 26 also has a rear wall portion 26F extending rearward and downward from the rear end of the fastening support portion 26C, and a rear flange portion 26G extending further rearward from the lower end of the rear wall portion 26F. The rear flange portion 26G is formed above the front flange portion 26E. The shape of the clip mounting bracket 26 is not limited to the above, and may be, for example, generally hat-shaped when viewed from the rear side of the vehicle and generally Z-shaped when viewed from the side of the vehicle.

The rear sub-roof 40 has a step 46 at the front end on the outer side in the vehicle width direction that is bent downward in a generally L-shape when viewed in cross section from the side of the vehicle. The upper surface of the rear flange 26G of the clip mounting bracket 26 is adhered to the lower surface of the step 46 of the sub-roof 40 by a first adhesive G1.

(Roof side through hole 80A and bracket side through hole 110)
Fig. 6 shows an enlarged view of the main part of the portion where the clip 90 in Fig. 5 is attached. As shown in Fig. 6, the fastening support portion 26C of the clip attachment bracket 26 is formed with a bracket-side through hole 110 penetrating in the plate thickness direction (approximately the vertical direction). Also, a roof-side through hole 80A penetrating in the plate thickness direction (approximately the vertical direction) is formed in a corner portion 80 of the main roof 50. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 5, in the upper reinforcement 24 of the roof side rail 20, a circular upper reinforcement-side through hole 24B is formed on the vehicle width direction inner side of the recessed portion 24A.

The bracket-side through-hole 110 (see FIG. 6), the roof-side through-hole 80A (see FIG. 6), and the upper reinforcement-side through-hole 24B are formed at corresponding positions in a plan view. In other words, as shown in FIG. 6, the main roof 50 is disposed at a position where the peripheral portion 112 of the bracket-side through-hole 110 and the peripheral portion 80B of the roof-side through-hole 80A overlap in the vertical direction.

Here, the roof side through hole 80A is an elongated hole having a generally rectangular shape in plan view, with the length R1 (see FIG. 6) in the vehicle width direction being shorter than the length R2 (see FIG. 7) in the vehicle front-rear direction (R1<R2). As an example, the length R1 in the vehicle width direction of the roof side through hole 80A is 7 mm, and the length R2 in the vehicle front-rear direction is 9 mm. Also, the bracket side through hole 110 is an elongated hole having a generally rectangular shape in plan view, with the length B1 in the vehicle width direction (see FIG. 6) being shorter than the length B2 in the vehicle front-rear direction (see FIG. 7) (B1<B2). As an example, the length B1 in the vehicle width direction of the bracket side through hole 110 is 11 mm, and the length B2 in the vehicle front-rear direction is 13 mm. The bracket side through hole 110 is formed larger than the roof side through hole 80A, taking into account variations during assembly (for example, 2 mm in both the front-rear direction and the left-right direction) (B1>R1 and B2>R2). The bracket-side through-hole 110 is not limited to being generally rectangular in cross section, but may be, for example, elliptical in cross section. The roof-side through-hole 80A is not limited to being an elongated hole, but may be, for example, a square or circular hole in cross section.

(Clip 90)
4 to 7, the clip 90 includes a head 92 having a thickness in the generally vertical direction in an assembled state, and a shaft 94 formed below the head 92 and having an axial direction in the generally vertical direction. The vertical length H of the shaft 94 (see FIG. 7) is the length from the lower surface of the head 92 to the lower end of the clip 90, and is longer than the sum of the vertical length of the claw 100 (see FIG. 6), the plate thickness of the peripheral portion 80B of the roof-side through-hole 80A, and the plate thickness of the peripheral portion 112 of the bracket-side through-hole 110. The head 92 has a generally elliptical shape in plan cross section, with an outer diameter C1 in the width direction (see FIG. 6) shorter than an outer diameter C2 in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 7).

As shown in Figure 4, the shaft 94 includes a shaft body 96 that is substantially rectangular prism-shaped, and an engagement portion 98 that connects the head 92 and the shaft body 96 and is formed to be substantially cross-shaped in a planar cross section. The shaft body 96 is substantially rectangular in a planar cross section, with a length J1 in the vehicle width direction (see Figure 6) that is shorter than a length J2 in the vehicle front-rear direction (see Figure 7) (J1 < J2). As an example, the width direction length J1 of the shaft body 96 is 2 mm, and the front-rear direction length J2 is 4 mm.

The engagement portion 98 provided on the upper side of the shaft body 96 includes a pair of longitudinal projections 98A provided on both sides of the shaft body 96 along the longitudinal direction of the head 92, and a pair of transverse projections 98B provided on both sides of the shaft 94 along the transverse direction of the head 92.

In the engagement portion 98, the short-side length F1 (see FIG. 6) including the pair of short-side protrusions 98B is shorter than the long-side length F2 (see FIG. 7) including the pair of longitudinal protrusions 98A (F1<F2). The longitudinal length F2 (see FIG. 7) of the engagement portion 98 is longer than the length R1 (see FIG. 6) of the roof-side through-hole 80A in the vehicle width direction (F2>R1). As an example, the short-side length F1 of the engagement portion 98 is 6 mm, and the long-side length F2 is 8 mm. The lower surfaces of the pair of longitudinal protrusions 98A and the pair of short-side protrusions 98B are formed in a direction that inclines downward as they approach the axial center of the shaft portion 94. The shaft portion 94 does not have to have the engagement portion 98.

The clip 90 further includes a pair of claws 100 extending upward and away from each other from the lower end of the shaft body 96 along the short side direction of the head 92. The pair of claws 100 are formed in a substantially V-shape in cross section as seen from the rear of the vehicle. As an example, the plate thickness T3 (see FIG. 6) of the pair of claws 100 in cross section as seen from the rear of the vehicle is 1 mm, and the front-to-rear thickness of the pair of claws 100 is 4 mm, which is the same as the front-to-rear thickness J2 (see FIG. 7) of the shaft body 96. Note that the shape of the pair of claws 100 is not limited to a substantially V-shape in cross section as seen from the rear of the vehicle, and may be, for example, an anchor shape.

A sponge 102 is attached to the underside of the head 92 of the clip 90 as an elastic member having a thickness in the vertical direction. The sponge 102 is made of a weather-resistant and elastic resin material such as ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM). The sponge 102 has a generally elliptical shape in plan view with an outer diameter E1 in the width direction (see FIG. 6) shorter than an outer diameter E2 in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 7) (E1<E2). The sponge 102 is formed to be slightly smaller than the head 92 of the clip 90 in plan view (E1<C1 and E2<C2). As an example, the outer diameter C1 in the width direction of the head 92 (see FIG. 6) is 24 mm, and the outer diameter E1 in the width direction of the sponge 102 is 22 mm. The shapes of the head 92 of the clip 90 and the sponge 102 are not limited to a generally elliptical shape in plan view, and may be formed, for example, in a circular shape in plan view.

The sponge 102 also has a cross hole 102A in a generally cross shape in a plan cross section at its center. This cross hole 102A is shaped to engage with the engagement portion 98 of the clip 90. Specifically, the short-side length P1 (see FIG. 6) of the cross hole 102A is shorter than the long-side length P2 (see FIG. 7) of the cross hole 102A (P1<P2). Note that the engagement portion of the clip 90 and the hole of the sponge 102 are not limited to a generally cross shape in a plan cross section.

As shown in Figure 6, the short-side length P1 of the cross hole 102A is greater than the short-side length F1 of the engagement portion 98 (P1>F1). As shown in Figure 7, the long-side length P2 of the cross hole 102A is greater than the long-side length F2 of the engagement portion 98 (P2>F2). As an example, the short-side length P1 of the cross hole 102A is 9 mm, and the long-side length P2 of the cross hole 102A is 11 mm.

Since the sponge 102 is elastic, the sponge 102 can be attached to the clip 90 by passing the pair of claws 100 and the shaft 94 of the clip 90 through the cross hole 102A of the sponge 102 from the lower side of the clip 90, as shown in Figure 4.

As shown in FIG. 6, the clip 90 with the sponge 102 attached is attached to the clip attachment bracket 26 with the main roof 50 sandwiched between them. At this time, the shaft 94 is inserted through the bracket-side through-hole 110 and the roof-side through-hole 80A (F1<R1 and F2<R2).

At this time, the head 92 of the clip 90 is disposed above the roof-side through-hole 80A. The head 92 of the clip 90 has a larger diameter than the roof-side through-hole 80A in both the short and long directions (C1>R1 and C2>R2). Furthermore, the head 92 of the clip 90 is formed to be larger than the diameter of the roof-side through-hole 80A, taking into account manufacturing variations and the amount of thermal expansion.

Here, the sponge 102 is sandwiched between the underside of the head 92 of the clip 90 and the upper surface of the peripheral portion 80B of the roof-side through-hole 80A. As an example, the thickness of the sponge 102 before compression is formed to be thicker than the thickness T1 of the head 92 so that the vertical thickness T2 of the sponge 102 in this sandwiched and compressed state is approximately the same as the vertical thickness T1 of the head 92 of the clip 90. The underside of the sponge 102 is bonded to the upper surface of the peripheral portion 80B of the roof-side through-hole 80A. At this time, the sponge 102 closes the gap between the underside of the head 92 of the clip 90 and the upper surface of the peripheral portion 80B of the roof-side through-hole 80A.

The widthwise diameter of the pair of claws 100 is larger than the length B1 of the bracket-side through-hole 110 in the vehicle width direction. The clip 90 is disposed so that the upper surfaces 100A of the pair of claws 100 abut against the lower surfaces of the peripheral portions 112 of the bracket-side through-holes 110.

The clip 90 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the head 92 and the engaging portion 98 is aligned along the longitudinal direction of the roof-side through-hole 80A and the bracket-side through-hole 110. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the pair of claw portions 100 are arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the head 92 and the engaging portion 98 is aligned along the longitudinal direction of the roof-side through-hole 80A and the bracket-side through-hole 110. In other words, the clip 90 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the head 92 and the engaging portion 98 is aligned along the longitudinal direction of the main roof 50 (vehicle front-to-rear direction) and the pair of claw portions 100 is aligned along the short direction of the main roof 50 (vehicle width direction).

When the clip 90 is inserted from above into the roof-side through-hole 80A to attach it to the main roof 50 and the clip-attaching bracket 26, the pair of claws 100 that contact the roof-side through-hole 80A are deformed toward each other as shown by the two-dot chain line. The sponge 102 is then compressed in the vertical direction, and the clip 90 is pushed downward from the state shown in FIG. 6. This causes the claws 100 to open again. At this time, the sponge 102 tries to return to its original size due to its elasticity, and the upper surfaces 100A of the pair of claws 100 contact the peripheral portion 112 of the bracket-side through-hole 110. This fixes the clip 90 to the main roof 50 and the clip-attaching bracket 26.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, in the assembled state, the undersides of the longitudinal projections 98A and the undersides of the lateral projections 98B of the engagement portion 98 of the clip 90 are located at approximately the same height as the roof-side through-hole 80A and the bracket-side through-hole 110.

A gap is formed between the peripheral surface of the shaft 94, including the undersides of the pair of longitudinal projections 98A and the pair of lateral projections 98B, and the wall of the bracket-side through-hole 110. As shown in FIG. 7, when the clip 90 is attached without variation, the clip 90 is configured to be able to move a distance L in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. This gap distance L is determined taking into account the amount of fore-and-aft movement of the clip 90 when the main roof 50 thermally expands due to a temperature change, and is set to 3 mm as an example.

Also, as shown in FIG. 6, when the clip 90 is attached without any variation, the inner end of the upper surface 110A of the claw portion 100 is positioned a distance W outward from the periphery of the roof-side through-hole 80A in the left-right direction of the clip 90. This distance W is determined taking into account the amount of left-right movement of the clip 90 when the main roof 50 thermally expands due to a temperature change, and is set to 1 mm as an example.

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

According to the plastic roof mounting structure for vehicles according to this embodiment, a plastic main roof 50 is disposed above the roof side rail 20 disposed 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 by 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 by a third adhesive G3.

The roof side rail 20 is also provided with a clip mounting bracket 26. The clip mounting bracket 26 has a bracket-side through hole 110 formed therein, which penetrates in the plate thickness direction (approximately the vertical direction). Meanwhile, the peripheral end 50A of the main roof 50 has a roof-side through hole 80A formed therein, which penetrates in the plate thickness direction (approximately the vertical direction). The main roof 50 is disposed above the roof side rail 20 at a position where the peripheral portion 112 of the bracket-side through hole 110 and the peripheral portion 80B of the roof-side through hole 80A overlap in the vertical direction.

Here, the shaft 94 of the clip 90 is inserted through the bracket-side through-hole 110 and the roof-side through-hole 80A. The clip 90 further includes a claw portion 100 having a larger diameter than the bracket-side through-hole 110. This claw portion 100 is disposed on the underside of the peripheral portion 112 of the bracket-side through-hole 110 when the clip 90 is in an assembled state. In other words, the vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to the present invention is configured such that the claw portion 100 hooks onto the underside of the clip mounting bracket 26, preventing the clip 90 from slipping out upward (to the outside of the vehicle compartment).

The clip 90 further includes a head 92 that is larger in diameter than the roof-side through-hole 80A. This head 92 is located above the roof-side through-hole 80A when the clip 90 is in an assembled state. As a result, even if the second adhesive G2 and the third adhesive G3 are peeled off, the peripheral portion 80B of the roof-side through-hole 80A is hooked onto the head 92 of the clip 90, so that the main roof 50 remains connected to the vehicle body without scattering. Therefore, the connection between the vehicle body and the main roof 50 can be maintained in a good state regardless of temperature changes.

In addition, an elastic EPDM sponge 102 is sandwiched between the underside of the head 92 of the clip 90 and the upper surface of the peripheral portion 80B of the roof-side through-hole 80A of the main roof 50. At this time, the upper surface 100A of the claw portion 100 of the clip 90 abuts against the underside of the peripheral portion 112 of the bracket-side through-hole 110. In other words, the clip 90 is attached in a state in which the main roof 50 and the clip attachment bracket 26 are sandwiched in the approximately vertical direction. At this time, by attaching the clip 90 via the sponge 102, excessive fixation of the main roof 50 to the clip attachment bracket 26 by the clip 90 is suppressed.

In this way, the main roof 50 is loosely attached to the clip attachment bracket 26, so the peripheral end 50A of the main roof 50 can slide relative to the clip attachment bracket 26. As a result, when the resin main roof 50 expands and contracts in the planar direction due to temperature changes, if the dimensional change is small, the movement of the main roof 50 is absorbed by the elastic deformation of the sponge 102. In other words, if the dimensional change is small, the movement of the main roof 50 is absorbed without the clip 90 moving.

The clip 90 is also arranged with a gap between the wall of the bracket-side through-hole 110 and the circumferential surface of the shaft 94 of the clip 90. Therefore, when the main roof 50 expands and contracts due to temperature changes, and expands and contracts significantly in the planar direction, the clip 90 moves together with the sponge 102 following the movement of the peripheral end 50A of the main roof 50 with the upper surface 100A of the claw portion 100 abutting against the lower surface of the peripheral portion 112 of the bracket-side through-hole 110. As a result, even if the main roof 50 expands and contracts significantly due to temperature changes, the dimensional change of the main roof 50 is absorbed while the connection state between the main roof 50 and the vehicle body by the clip 90 is maintained.

In addition, when the main roof 50 expands and contracts due to temperature changes, the change in dimension of the main roof 50 in the longitudinal direction is greater than the change in dimension in the lateral direction. Here, the bracket-side through-hole 110 is an elongated hole whose longitudinal direction is along the longitudinal direction of the main roof 50. In other words, the bracket-side through-hole 110 is long in the direction in which the dimensional change of the main roof 50 is greater, and short in the direction in which the dimensional change of the main roof 50 is smaller. This allows the expansion and contraction of the main roof 50 due to temperature changes to be efficiently absorbed with the minimum bracket-side through-hole 110, taking into account the range of movement of the shaft portion 94 of the clip 90.

Furthermore, the claw portions 100 of the clip 90 are provided in a pair along the short side direction of the main roof 50. In other words, the claw portions 100 of the clip are arranged along the direction in which the dimensional change of the main roof 50 is small. Therefore, when the main roof 50 expands and contracts due to temperature changes, the amount of movement of the clip 90 in the direction in which the pair of claw portions 100 are provided (the vehicle width direction) is smaller than the amount of movement of the clip in the direction perpendicular to the pair of claw portions 100 (the vehicle front-rear direction).

The short side of the elongated bracket-side through hole 110 coincides with the short side of the main roof 50. In other words, the pair of claws 100 of the clip 90 are disposed in contact with the underside of the peripheral portion 112 in the short side of the bracket-side through hole 110. This allows the claws 100 to be stably hooked onto the clip attachment bracket 26 while minimizing the outer diameter of the claws 100. Therefore, the small clip 90 can absorb dimensional changes in the main roof 50 due to temperature changes, while stably connecting the main roof 50 to the clip attachment bracket 26.

Furthermore, the gap between the underside of the head 92 of the clip 90 and the upper surface of the peripheral portion 80B of the roof-side through-hole 80A in the main roof 50 is blocked by a sponge 102. This prevents water and dust from entering the vehicle interior through the roof-side through-hole 80A.

In addition, 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 vehicle 10 is constructed with only one main roof, so that the change in dimension 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-hole 80A can absorb the change in dimension of the main roof 50, improving the strength and rigidity of the main roof 50. Furthermore, the dimension of the head 92 of the clip 90 can also be reduced. This improves the appearance design of the portion of the upper vehicle body 12 where the clip 90 is attached.

The main roof 50 further comprises 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 underside (inside of the vehicle compartment) of a specified 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 is reduced and the thermal insulation of the vehicle compartment is improved.

Furthermore, the outer end 52B at the peripheral end 52A of the outer layer 52 is covered with a weather-resistant soft sealer S, 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 and dust 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, the water-stopping and dust-proof properties of the outer end 52B of the outer layer 52 can be ensured. At this time, the expansion and contraction of the main roof 50 is not hindered due to the elasticity of the sealer S.

In addition, the four corners 80 of the peripheral end 52A of the outer layer of the main roof 50 are connected to the clip attachment bracket 26 by the clips 90. Therefore, even if the second adhesive and the third adhesive are peeled off while driving, the connection between the main roof 50 and the vehicle body is maintained at the four corners of the main roof 50, so that the main roof 50 is prevented from floating up due to the wind while driving and the main roof 50 is 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 windshields at the front and rear of the vehicle and the main roof 50 while reducing the mass of the vehicle 10 compared to a metal roof.

The head 92 of the clip 90 and the sponge 102 are each formed to have a generally elliptical shape in plan cross section (C1<C2 and E1<E2). Furthermore, the shaft 94 of the clip 90 is formed with an engagement portion 98 that is generally cross-shaped in plan cross section with one side in the longitudinal direction (F1<F2). The sponge 102 is formed with a cross hole 102A that is generally cross-shaped in plan cross section (P1<P2) that engages with the engagement portion 98 of the clip 90. This allows the longitudinal direction of the head 92 of the clip 90 and the longitudinal direction of the sponge 102 to be aligned, making it easy to attach the sponge 102 to the clip 90 in the correct orientation.

Furthermore, the roof-side through-hole 80A is an elongated hole (R1<R2). Therefore, when attaching the clip 90 with the sponge 102 attached to the vehicle body, the clip 90 can be easily attached in the correct orientation by aligning the longitudinal direction of the head 92 of the clip 90 with the longitudinal direction of the roof-side through-hole 80A.

Furthermore, the length F2 of the engagement portion 98 in the longitudinal direction is greater than the length R1 of the roof-side through-hole 80A in the vehicle width direction (short direction) (F2>R1). This prevents the clip 90 from being inserted in the wrong direction, further improving assembly.

The roof-side through-hole 80A is an elongated hole whose longitudinal direction is along the longitudinal direction of the main roof 50. In other words, like the bracket-side through-hole 110, the roof-side through-hole 80A is also formed long in the direction in which the dimensional change of the main roof 50 is large and short in the direction in which the dimensional change of the main roof 50 is small. As described above, when the dimensional change of the main roof 50 is small, the movement of the main roof 50 is absorbed by the elastic deformation of the sponge 102 without the clip 90 moving. Therefore, by making the roof-side through-hole 80A an elongated hole as described above, the expansion and contraction of the main roof 50 due to temperature changes can be efficiently absorbed with the minimum roof-side through-hole 80A that takes into account the range in which the roof-side through-hole 80A moves relative to the shaft portion 94 of the clip 90.

In addition, the upper surface of the sponge 102 is adhered to the lower surface of the clip 90. This prevents the sponge 102 from slipping relative to the clip 90. In addition, the clip 90 and sponge 102 can be attached to the vehicle body as a single unit, further improving the ease of assembly to the vehicle body.

Furthermore, the underside of the sponge is adhered to the peripheral portion 80B of the roof-side through-hole 80A of the main roof 50. This prevents the upper surface of the main roof 50 from shifting relative to the underside of the sponge 102. In other words, the clip 90 and the sponge 102 are integrated with the peripheral portion 80B of the roof-side through-hole 80A and can efficiently follow the movement of the main roof 50. In addition, because the position of the underside of the sponge 102 relative to the roof-side through-hole 80A is constant, the water-stopping and dust-proofing properties of the roof-side through-hole 80A can be stably ensured even if the main roof 50 expands and contracts due to temperature changes.

[Supplementary explanation of the above embodiment]
In the above embodiment, the clip mounting bracket 26 is welded to the roof side rail 20. However, the clip mounting bracket 26 may be welded to the roof reinforcement 30, for example, as long as it is provided on an upper vehicle frame member arranged in the upper vehicle body 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.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the main roof 50 has been described as being formed in a generally rectangular shape in plan view with its longitudinal direction in the front-to-rear direction, but is not limited thereto. For example, the main roof 50 may be formed in a square shape in plan view or in a rectangular shape in plan view with its longitudinal direction in the left-to-right direction.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the bracket-side through-hole 110 is described as an elongated hole whose longitudinal direction is along the longitudinal direction of the main roof 50, but is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, an elongated hole whose longitudinal direction is along the lateral direction of the main roof 50, or a circular hole.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the claw portions 100 of the clip 90 are described as being provided in pairs along the short side direction of the main roof 50, but they may be provided in other directions.

In the above embodiment, the sponge 102 is described as blocking the gap between the underside of the head 92 of the clip 90 and the upper surface of the periphery 80B of the roof-side through-hole 80A of the main roof 50, but this is not limited thereto. For example, an elastic member that does not block the gap may be provided, and the gap may be filled with a sealant separately to ensure the watertightness and dustproofness of the roof-side through-hole 80A.

In addition, 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.

Furthermore, 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 also be used.

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

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the clips 90 are 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 clips 90 may be attached to other positions on the peripheral edge 52A of the main roof 50.

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

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 Clip mounting 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 Clip 92 Head 94 Shaft 100 Claw 102 Sponge (elastic member)
110: bracket side through hole 112: peripheral portion of bracket side through hole G2: second adhesive (adhesive)
G3 Third adhesive (adhesive)
S. Sheila

Claims (9)

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 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 a 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 clip including a shaft portion inserted into the bracket-side through hole and the roof-side through hole, a head portion having a diameter larger than that of the roof-side through hole and disposed above the roof-side through hole, and a claw portion having a diameter larger than that of the bracket-side through hole and disposed so as to abut against an underside surface of the peripheral portion of the bracket-side through hole, the clip being disposed with a gap between the peripheral surface of the shaft portion and a hole wall of the bracket-side through hole;
a stretchable member sandwiched between a lower surface of the head of the clip and an upper surface of the peripheral portion of the roof-side through-hole;
A vehicle plastic roof mounting structure having the above structure. The main roof is rectangular in a plan view, and the bracket-side through hole is an elongated hole whose longitudinal direction is along the longitudinal direction of the main roof.
The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to claim 1. The claw portions of the clip are provided in a pair in a direction along the short side direction of the main roof.
The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to claim 2. The elastic member closes a gap between a lower surface of the head of the clip and an upper surface of the peripheral portion of the roof-side through-hole in the main roof.
The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The main roof is provided in a pair in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.
The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 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 5. The outer end of the outer layer is covered with a sealer.
The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to claim 6. The clips are attached to at least four corners of the outer layer,
8. The vehicle plastic roof mounting structure according to claim 6 or 7. A vehicle resin roof mounting structure according to any one of claims 6 to 8,
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: