Patent ID: 8894136

Claim:
A side structure of a vehicle body, comprising: a rail assembly extending in a front-and-rear direction of the vehicle body and defining an upper part of the side structure of the vehicle body; an arch assembly extending laterally of the vehicle body and having an end located on the rail assembly; a roof panel supported by the arch assembly; the rail assembly including: an outer portion extending in the front-and-rear direction of the vehicle body and located laterally outwardly of the vehicle body; an inner portion disposed closer to a lateral center of the vehicle body than the outer portion, the inner portion cooperating with the outer portion to define a closed cross-sectional structure extending in the front-and-rear direction of the vehicle body; an outer extension portion formed integrally with the outer portion and extending toward the lateral center of the vehicle body; and an inner extension portion formed integrally with the inner portion and extending toward the lateral center of the vehicle body, the inner extension portion having a lateral inner end located closer to the lateral center of vehicle body than a lateral inner end of the outer extension portion, the inner extension portion cooperating with the outer extension portion to define a closed cross-sectional structure; the arch assembly including: an upper member having a lateral outer end carried on the outer extension portion; and a lower member disposed below the upper member and having a lateral outer end carried on the inner extension portion, the lower member cooperating with the upper member to define a closed cross-sectional structure extending laterally of the vehicle body, wherein the roof panel includes a panel body and a roof flange protruding forwardly of the vehicle body from the panel body, wherein the upper member includes an upper body and an upper flange protruding from the upper body of the upper member in overlapping relationship to the roof flange, the upper flange including an upper projection protruding forwardly of the vehicle body more than the roof flange, wherein the lower member includes a lower body and a lower flange protruding from the lower body of the lower member in overlapping relationship to the upper flange, wherein the outer extension portion of the rail assembly includes an extension body and an outer flange protruding from the extension body of the outer extension portion in overlapping relationship to the upper flange, the outer flange having a lateral inner end including an outer projection, wherein the inner extension portion of the rail assembly includes an extension body and an inner flange protruding from the extension body of the inner extension portion in overlapping relationship to the lower flange, the inner flange having an inner projection overlapping the outer projection, and wherein the upper flange, the outer flange and the inner flange define a first spot welding region in which the upper projection, the outer projection and the inner projection are spot welded to one another.