Patent ID: 8371642

Claim:
A vehicle body structure comprising: a first roof rail and a second roof rail; a closed section roof bow joining the first roof rail and the second roof rail, the closed roof bow being substantially perpendicular to the first and second roof rails; a first rocker rail and a second rocker rail disposed substantially parallel to the first rocker rail; a first B-Pillar affixed to the first roof rail and a second B-Pillar affixed to the second roof rail, the first and second B-Pillars each defining a sheet metal bend operatively configured to provide controlled energy absorption when a roof load is applied, each of the first and second B-Pillars having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of the first B-Pillar affixed to the first roof rail and the upper end of the second B-Pillar affixed to the second roof rail, the lower end of the first B-Pillar affixed to the first rocker rail and the lower end of the second B-Pillar affixed to the second rocker rail; a first A-Pillar affixed to the first roof rail and a second A-Pillar affixed to the second roof rail, the first and second A-Pillars each having a roof end and a cowl end and each defining an A-Pillar hinge joint between the roof end and the cowl end of each of the first and second A-Pillars; and a cowl connecting the A-Pillar of the first roof rail to the A-Pillar of the second roof rail.