Patent ID: 7850226

Claim:
A vehicle comprising: a structure completely disposed rearward of a front door of the vehicle, the structure having a door opening, a plurality of mating features disposed completely forward of the door opening, and a first upper mating feature disposed above the door opening and that engages a roof structure; wherein the plurality of mating features interlock with a front portion of the passenger compartment; and wherein the first upper mating feature has a dovetail configuration that includes: a first surface, a second surface disposed opposite the first surface, first and second joint surfaces that extend from the first surface to the second surface, the first and second joint surfaces extending substantially along first and second planes, respectively, that intersect with each other, a connecting surface extending between the first and second joint surfaces, and a channel for receiving an adhesive, the channel being disposed inside the first upper mating feature between the first and second joint surfaces and spaced apart from the connecting surface.