Patent ID: 8979181
Filing Date: 2015-03-17
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
1. A vehicle body structure comprising: at least one vehicle body panel including a roof ditch that is defined by a recessed support surface, a first wall surface extending longitudinally along a first side of the recessed support surface and a second wall surface extending longitudinally along a second side of the recessed support surface, with the second wall surface being disposed outboard of the first wall surface; a cover including a top portion that spans a width of the roof ditch between respective top edges of the first and second wall surfaces such that a first lateral side of the top portion extends along the first wall surface and a second lateral side of the top portion extends along the second wall surface, the cover further including a cover attachment section and a molding attachment section, the cover attachment section coupling the cover at a fixed position relative to the vehicle body panel; and a molding member extending in a lengthwise direction along the roof ditch between the first and second wall surfaces of the roof ditch, the molding member including an attachment member and an attachment projection, the attachment member mating with the molding attachment section of the cover to form a lengthwise movement connection that retains the cover to the molding member such that the lengthwise movement connection allows the molding member and the cover to undergo a predetermined amount of movement relative to one another along the lengthwise direction of the roof ditch, the attachment projection extending under one of the first lateral side and the second lateral side of the cover with an upper surface of the top portion of the cover facing an underside of the molding member restricting movement of the molding member relative to the cover in a direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the roof ditch.