Joining structure of automotive vehicle body

Claim 1

A roof-side-door assembly in a two-door type automotive vehicle body, which comprises: (a) a roof panel (1); (b) a side panel (2), a side edge of said roof panel (1) being superposed upon an upper edge bent portion of said side panel (2) at the upper surface of the vehicle body, said side edge superposed portions being welded together so as to form a U-shaped channel (C) with side walls and a bottom wall, said bottom wall being comprised of said side edge, defining an upwardly opening groove, the said weld being at said bottom wall of said U-shaped channel; (c) an opening (0) where a door member (4) is fitted; (d) an upper frame (6) to reinforce the top side of said opening (0), a continuation of said side edge of said roof panel (1) being superposed upon a flange portion of said upper frame (6) and said edge and flange being welded to one another to form a second portion with said side edge being continuous to said first superposed portion forming the bottom of said U-shaped channel, said second superposed portion being extended in the direction of the door member (4); (e) a meeting portion (A) being formed by an upper edge of said door member (4) and said second superposed portion at the closing of the door member (4) to define a U-shaped channel defining an upwardly opening groove; said first superposed portion channel (C) and said meeting portion (A) being positioned on the same line to define a substantially continuous upwardly opening groove extending along the upper edge of the door member and rearwardly of said door member along said roof panel when said door member is closed.