US3635519A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vehicle body roof structure
Assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
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Filing: 1970-08-12
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Granted: 1972-01-18
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Expires: 1990-08-12
Abstract
Abstract A vehicle body roof structure includes inner and outer roof panels generally coextensive in size. The longitudinal edges of the outer panel are hem flanged over like edges of the inner panel. The lateral edges of the panels are provided with mating pinchweld flanges welded to each other. The central portion of the inner panel is located immediately adjacent a like portion of the outer panel and secured thereto by a plurality of adhesive drops. The lateral and longitudinal marginal portions bounding the central portion of the inner panel and like portions of the outer panel provide the side rail and header structures. Such marginal portions are spaced a greater distance from each other than are the central portions. The inner panel is provided with longitudinally spaced rows of laterally aligned openings for receiving listing wire mounting clips. Certain of the openings and the front lateral marginal portion are provided with outwardly embossed dams to limit flow of the uncured adhesive with respect to such openings and marginal portion during shipment of the resultant structure after assembly. The inner panel is further provided with perforations to allow for sound absorption in the space between the inner and outer panels. One or more embossed ribs may be provided in the inner panel, and a center embossment of the inner panel supports a pad of sound absorbing material in engagement with the outer panel.
Inventors
- 👤 Laverne H Foster
- 👤 Robert M Fox
- 👤 Charles H Webber
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 15:32
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R13/00; B60R13/02; B60R13/0212; B60R13/0218; B60R13/0206; B62; B62D; B62D25/00; B62D25/06; B60R2013/0281; B60R2013/0293
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
138 words
A vehicle body roof panel assembly comprising, a roof outer panel, a roof inner panel generally coextensive with the outer panel and having the central portion thereof generally conforming to the shape of a like portion of the roof outer panel and located in adjacent spaced relationship thereto, adhesive means securing the central portions of the inner and outer panels to each other, the inner panel having outer lateral and longitudinal marginal portions bounding the central portion and spaced a greater distance from like portions of the outer panel than the spacing between the central portions of the panels, the marginal portions cooperatively providing the side rail and header structures, and means securing the longitudinal and the lateral edge portions of the marginal portions to each other to provide edge portions of vehicle body door and window openings.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
138 words
A vehicle body roof panel assembly comprising, a roof outer panel, a roof inner panel generally coextensive with the outer panel and having the central portion thereof generally conforming to the shape of a like portion of the roof outer panel and located in adjacent spaced relationship thereto, adhesive means securing the central portions of the inner and outer panels to each other, the inner panel having outer lateral and longitudinal marginal portions bounding the central portion and spaced a greater distance from like portions of the outer panel than the spacing between the central portions of the panels, the marginal portions cooperatively providing the side rail and header structures, and means securing the longitudinal and the lateral edge portions of the marginal portions to each other to provide edge portions of vehicle body door and window openings.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
163 words
A vehicle body roof panel assembly comprising, a roof outer panel, a roof inner panel generally coextensive with the outer panel and having the central portion thereof generally conforming to the shape of a like portion of the roof outer panel and located in adjacent spaced relationship thereto, adhesive means securing the central portions of the inner and outer panels to each other, the inner panel having outer lateral and longitudinal marginal portions bounding the central portion and spaced a greater distance from like portions of the outer panel than the spacing between the central portions of the panels, the marginal portions cooperatively defining the side rail and header structures, the spaced longitudinal edges of the roof outer panel defining the body door openings including return bent flange portions receiving the longitudinal edge portions of the inner panel, the lateral edge portions of the roof outer and inner panel cooperatively defining edge portions of body window openings and being secured to each other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
163 words
A vehicle body roof panel assembly comprising, a roof outer panel, a roof inner panel generally coextensive with the outer panel and having the central portion thereof generally conforming to the shape of a like portion of the roof outer panel and located in adjacent spaced relationship thereto, adhesive means securing the central portions of the inner and outer panels to each other, the inner panel having outer lateral and longitudinal marginal portions bounding the central portion and spaced a greater distance from like portions of the outer panel than the spacing between the central portions of the panels, the marginal portions cooperatively defining the side rail and header structures, the spaced longitudinal edges of the roof outer panel defining the body door openings including return bent flange portions receiving the longitudinal edge portions of the inner panel, the lateral edge portions of the roof outer and inner panel cooperatively defining edge portions of body window openings and being secured to each other.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
159 words
A vehicle body roof panel assembly comprising, a roof outer panel, a roof inner panel generally coextensive with the outer panel and having the central portion thereof generally conforming to the shape of a like portion of the roof outer panel and located in adjacent spaced relationship thereto, adhesive means securing the central portions of the inner and outer panels to each other, the inner panel having outer lateral and longitudinal marginal portions bounding the central portion and spaced a greater distance from like portions of the outer panel than the spacing between the central portions of the panels, the marginal portions cooperatively defining the side rail and header structures, portions of the spaced longitudinal edges of the roof outer panel including return bent flange portions receiving and gripping the longitudinal edge portions of the inner panel, the lateral edge portions of the roof outer and inner panel cooperatively defining body pinchweld structures and being secured to each other.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
159 words
A vehicle body roof panel assembly comprising, a roof outer panel, a roof inner panel generally coextensive with the outer panel and having the central portion thereof generally conforming to the shape of a like portion of the roof outer panel and located in adjacent spaced relationship thereto, adhesive means securing the central portions of the inner and outer panels to each other, the inner panel having outer lateral and longitudinal marginal portions bounding the central portion and spaced a greater distance from like portions of the outer panel than the spacing between the central portions of the panels, the marginal portions cooperatively defining the side rail and header structures, portions of the spaced longitudinal edges of the roof outer panel including return bent flange portions receiving and gripping the longitudinal edge portions of the inner panel, the lateral edge portions of the roof outer and inner panel cooperatively defining body pinchweld structures and being secured to each other.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
154 words
A vehicle body roof panel assembly comprising, a roof outer panel, a roof inner panel generally coextensive with the outer panel and having a central portion generally conforming to the shape of a like portion of the roof outer panel and including a plurality of openings therethrough, curable adhesive means securing the central portions of the inner and outer panels to each other, dam means adjacent at least certain of the openings projecting from the inner panel to adjacent the outer panel to block flow of the uncured adhesive means through the openings, the inner panel having outer longitudinal and lateral marginal portions spaced a greater distance from the outer panel than the central portion and cooperating with the outer panel to respectively provide side rail and header structures, means securing the longitudinal edge portions of the paneLs to each other, and means securing the lateral edge portions of the panels to each other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
154 words
A vehicle body roof panel assembly comprising, a roof outer panel, a roof inner panel generally coextensive with the outer panel and having a central portion generally conforming to the shape of a like portion of the roof outer panel and including a plurality of openings therethrough, curable adhesive means securing the central portions of the inner and outer panels to each other, dam means adjacent at least certain of the openings projecting from the inner panel to adjacent the outer panel to block flow of the uncured adhesive means through the openings, the inner panel having outer longitudinal and lateral marginal portions spaced a greater distance from the outer panel than the central portion and cooperating with the outer panel to respectively provide side rail and header structures, means securing the longitudinal edge portions of the paneLs to each other, and means securing the lateral edge portions of the panels to each other.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
244 words
A vehicle body roof panel assembly comprising, a roof outer panel, a roof inner panel generally coextensive with the outer panel and having a central portion generally conforming to the shape of a like portion of the roof outer panel and located in adjacent spaced relationship thereto, curable adhesive means securing the central portions of the inner and outer panels to each other, the central portion of the inner panel having a plurality of openings therethrough for transmitting sound to the chamber between the inner and outer panels and a plurality of other openings therethrough adapted to be closed by listing wire retaining means, a plurality of embossments in the inner panel adjacent certain of the other openings projecting to adjacent the outer panel to block the flow of uncured adhesive through the certain other openings prior to the closing thereof by the listing wire-retaining means, the inner panel having outer longitudinal and lateral marginal portions spaced a greater distance from the outer panel than the central portion and cooperating with the outer panel to respectively provide side rail and header structures, the major portions of the longitudinal edges of the roof outer panel defining the body door openings and including return bent flange portions receiving and securing to the longitudinal edge portions of the inner panel, the lateral edge portions of the roof outer and inner panel cooperatively defining body pinchweld structures and being secured to each other to provide body window openings.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
244 words
A vehicle body roof panel assembly comprising, a roof outer panel, a roof inner panel generally coextensive with the outer panel and having a central portion generally conforming to the shape of a like portion of the roof outer panel and located in adjacent spaced relationship thereto, curable adhesive means securing the central portions of the inner and outer panels to each other, the central portion of the inner panel having a plurality of openings therethrough for transmitting sound to the chamber between the inner and outer panels and a plurality of other openings therethrough adapted to be closed by listing wire retaining means, a plurality of embossments in the inner panel adjacent certain of the other openings projecting to adjacent the outer panel to block the flow of uncured adhesive through the certain other openings prior to the closing thereof by the listing wire-retaining means, the inner panel having outer longitudinal and lateral marginal portions spaced a greater distance from the outer panel than the central portion and cooperating with the outer panel to respectively provide side rail and header structures, the major portions of the longitudinal edges of the roof outer panel defining the body door openings and including return bent flange portions receiving and securing to the longitudinal edge portions of the inner panel, the lateral edge portions of the roof outer and inner panel cooperatively defining body pinchweld structures and being secured to each other to provide body window openings.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
The roof panel assembly recited in claim 1 wherein the chamber between the inner and outer roof panels defines a sound absorption chamber, and the inner panel includes perforations opening to the chamber to transmit sound thereto.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
The roof panel assembly recited in claim 1 wherein the inner panel includes an elongate strengthening rib and a central embossment traversing the rib and extending toward the outer panel, a resilient pad seating on the embossment, and adhesive means securing the pad to the outer panel.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-01-17 | 1975-07-19 | 1976-01-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-01-17 | 1979-07-19 | 1980-01-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-01-17 | 1983-07-19 | 1984-01-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |