Roof side rail

A roof side rail is connected to a roof panel and includes a multi-sectional rail having a plurality of integrally formed ribs and bent along a shape of an upper portion of a side surface of a vehicle body, and a reinforcement rail that is combined with an inner side surface of the rail, an upper side flange is connected to the roof panel, and a lower side flange is engaged with a weather strip.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0143094 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Dec. 10, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a roof side rail. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a roof side rail in which an extruded pipe having ribs integrally formed therein is formed by bending to be welded to a roof panel.

Generally, a roof side rail is a member that is disposed at an upper portion of a side surface of a vehicle body to improve a performance of a vehicle body.

FIG. 1is a cross-sectional view of each side of a roof side rail according to a conventional art.

Referring toFIG. 1, the roof side rail101is disposed from a front side to a rear side of a vehicle body100and connects main members to improve twist strength, bending strength, and roof strength.

When the roof side rail101is applied to a vehicle body, the following need to be taken into consideration. The sectional size has to be limited for securing viewing angle of a front pillar (A pillar) and for aesthetical reasons, and the strength of the rail is improved by preventing component separation.

The roof side rail101includes a side outer panel111and a side inner panel113that are assembled, and an upper side portion thereof is welded to a roof panel (not shown).

That is, a side outer panel111and a side inner panel113are spot welded through a flange portion (F) at an upper side of the roof side rail101.

A space portion (S) is formed between the side outer panel111and the side inner panel113and a reinforcement panel115that is similar to the shape of the side outer panel111is disposed in the space portion (S) to improve the vertical strength of a connection portion with a roof panel (not shown).

In this case, both ends of the reinforcement panel115are interposed between the side outer panel111and the side inner panel113of each flange portion (F) to be integrally spot welded.

However, in the roof side rail101according to the above conventional design, the side outer panel111, the side inner panel113, and the reinforcement panel115are overlapped through the flange portion (F) of both ends, the overlapped portion is combined through spot welding, but the strength of the welding portion is low and the number of components is increased by adding the reinforcement panel115for improving the strength.

Also, the conventional roof side rail101is made by combining a plurality of panels, and therefore there is a drawback in designing a sectional shape and size so as to improve strength and secure viewing angle of a front pillar (A pillar).

The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the disclosure.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a roof side rail formed by bending a multi-sectional extruded pipe. The pipe includes a plurality of integrally formed ribs such that the strength of a vehicle body and a roof are improved, the number of components is reduced, and the design becomes flexible.

A roof side rail that is connected to a roof panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include a rail having a plurality of integrally formed ribs to have a multi-sectional structure and bent along a shape of an upper portion of a side surface of a vehicle body, and a reinforcement rail that is combined with an inner side surface of the rail. An upper side flange is connected to the roof panel, and a lower side flange is engaged with a weather strip.

The rib may include a lower side rib that connects an outside interior section of the rail and an inside interior section of the rail in a first direction and an upper side rib that connects the outside interior section of the rail and and the inside interior section of the rail in a second direction different than the first direction.

An edge portion of the rail may have a round shape.

The rail may include an extruded pipe in which the plurality of ribs are integrally formed therein.

The reinforcement rail may include a panel that is formed by pressing along an inner side surface of the rail.

The reinforcement rail may be continuously welded to an upper side end portion and a lower side end portion of an inner side surface of the rail and is welded to an upper side and a lower side of an inner side surface of the rail in one direction.

The continuous welding may be one of CO2welding, MIG welding, TIG welding, or laser hybrid welding.

The one side direction welding may be one of laser welding, one side direction spot welding, a rivet union, or a screw union.

An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure prevents the roof side rail from becoming wider through two ribs that connect an outside with an inner side of the section such that the strength of the roof is secured to satisfy high load.

Also, a multi-sectional extruded pipe having ribs integrally formed therein is bent to form a rail such that the number of the components is reduced, the weight is reduced, and the design becomes more flexible.

Also, the strength is improved by adding a reinforcement rail that is welded on the roof panel without a separate reinforcement panel to improve overall strength and assembly feature.

Also, an edge portion of the rail has a round surface to prevent the stress concentration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in accordance with accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2is an exploded perspective view of a roof side rail according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, andFIG. 3is a cross-sectional view of a roof side rail according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIG. 2andFIG. 3, a roof side rail1includes a rail3and a reinforcement rail5according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

The rail3may include two ribs L, which may be labeled L1and L2, that are integrally formed. Three closed spaces C1, C2, and C3are formed by the two ribs L. The rail3may be formed by bending along a shape of an upper portion of a side surface of a vehicle body.

The rail3is formed by an extruded pipe element, wherein two ribs L are integrally extruded.

In this case, the ribs L include a lower side rib L2that connects an outside interior section of the rail3with an inside interior section of the rail3in a first direction and an upper side rib L1that connects the outside interior section of the rail3with the inside interior section of the rail3in a second direction different than the first direction. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 3, the first direction may be a diagonal direction, and the second direction may be a width direction.

Each edge of the rail3may have a round surface R.

The reinforcement rail5may be combined on an inner side surface of the rail3and the reinforcement rail5may be a panel formed by a pressing process along an inner side surface shape of the rail3.

An upper side flange F1that is connected to the roof panel (not shown) may be formed at an upper side of the reinforcement rail5, and a lower side flange F2that a weather strip is disposed thereon is formed at a lower side of the reinforcement rail5.

Meanwhile, a continuous welding portion W1that is formed at an upper side portion and a lower side portion of an inner side surface of the rail3is formed along a length direction of the reinforcement rail5, and one side direction welding portion W2is formed at an upper side portion and a lower side portion of an inner side surface of the rail3.

That is, the continuous welding portion W1can be any one of CO2welding, MIG welding, TIG welding, or laser hybrid welding, and one side direction welding portion W2can be laser welding, one side direction spot welding, a rivet union, or a screw union.

Accordingly, the roof side rail1as described above may include a rail3having two ribs L integrally formed inside the rail3and a multi-sectional extruded pipe structure bent such that the strength of the vehicle body and the roof are improved.

Also, the rail3may be formed by an extruding process to reduce the number of the components. In addition, a viewing angle of a front pillar or A pillar and aesthetical features are secured to satisfy design conditions, and the design increases flexibility.

FIG. 4is a cross-sectional view showing a roof test method of a conventional roof side rail and a roof side rail according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown inFIG. 4, when the strength of the conventional roof side rail101is tested S1, an input load E is applied to one side of the rail101and a central portion thereof becomes wider. However, when the roof side rail1according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is tested S2, the roof side rail1does not become wider because of the two ribs L that connect an outside with an inner side of the section such that the strength of the roof is secured to satisfy high load.

Also, the section of the roof side rail1is divided into three closed areas C1, C2, and C3by two ribs L to increase section coefficient and edge portion of the rail has round shape to prevent the stress concentration.