Patent ID: 7819466

Claim:
A roof apparatus for a vehicle comprising: a pair of guide rails adapted to be mounted and extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle along both sides of an opening provided at a vehicle roof, the pair of guide rails supporting a movable panel for opening and closing the opening; and a frame extending in a width direction of the vehicle, the frame being connected at its opposite ends and connected with the guide rails, respectively, the frame being made of a light alloy material and having a closed cross sectional shaped structure when viewed in a direction perpendicular to a length direction thereof, the closed sectional shaped structure of the frame including: a joining surface portion connected at first and second portions that are spaced-apart in the vehicle longitudinal direction with a lower surface of each guide rail; an opposing surface portion opposing with the joining surface portion; a hollow portion located between the joining surface portion and the opposing surface portion; and at least one rib connecting the joining surface portion and the opposing surface portion and dividing the hollow portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the at least one rib being positioned proximate an opening in the opposing surface portion.