IP Library Granted Patent US 12691946
Granted Patent B2
US 12691946 · App. 18/490,331 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Upper vehicle-body structure of vehicle

Inventors: Makoto Morimoto (Aki-gun, JP); Daisuke Kiyoshita (Aki-gun, JP); Shuang Gao (Aki-gun, JP); Kohichi Tanimoto (Aki-gun, JP)
Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
B62D25/06B62D25/04B62D27/023
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12691946
App. No.
18/490,331
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An upper end portion of a center pillar reinforcement is fixed to a roof rail. The roof rail comprises a protrusion portion protruding in a vehicle width direction and extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The protrusion portion comprises a fixation portion where the upper end portion is fixed and a terminal end portion separate, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, from the center pillar reinforcement.

Claims (21)

1 . An upper vehicle-body structure of a vehicle, comprising:

a roof rail; and

a center pillar reinforcement comprising an upper end portion fixed to said roof rail,

wherein said roof rail comprises a protrusion portion protruding in a vehicle width direction and extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and said protrusion portion comprises a fixation portion, said upper end portion fixed to said fixation portion, and a terminal end portion spaced apart from said center pillar reinforcement in the vehicle longitudinal direction,

wherein said protrusion portion extends rearward from said center pillar reinforcement and is defined as a first protrusion portion, and another protrusion portion defined as a second protrusion portion protruding in the vehicle width direction is provided at a position of said roof rail which is adjacent to and rearward of said terminal end portion of the first protrusion portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

2 . The upper vehicle-body structure of the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said protrusion portion is provided at a side face portion of said roof rail.

3 . The upper vehicle-body structure of the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a bead portion extending in the vehicle width direction is provided at a portion of an upper face portion or a lower face portion of said roof rail which is located at a position, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, between said first protrusion portion and said second protrusion portion.

4 . The upper vehicle-body structure of the vehicle of claim 3 , wherein said bead portion is defined as an upper-face bead portion protruding upward from the upper face portion of said roof rail and a pair of lower-face bead portions extending in the vehicle width direction and protruding downward from the lower face portion of the roof rail, wherein said pair of lower-face bead portions are located at respective positions, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, adjacent to said first protrusion portion and said second protrusion portion.

5 . The upper vehicle-body structure of the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said terminal end portion is positioned at a rear end of said first protrusion portion and is spaced apart rearwardly in the vehicle longitudinal direction from a rear end of an upper end portion of said center pillar reinforcement.

6 . The upper vehicle-body structure of the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein each of said first protrusion portion and said second protrusion portion is configured to extend straight continuously in the vehicle longitudinal direction and have an obround shape.

7 . The upper vehicle-body structure of the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said second protrusion portion is shorter than said first protrusion portion in the longitudinal direction.

8 . The upper vehicle-body structure of the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said second protrusion portion is configured to extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction rearwardly past a front end of a roof reinforcement extending inward, in the vehicle width direction, from said roof rail.

9 . An upper vehicle-body structure of a vehicle, comprising:

a roof rail;

a center pillar reinforcement comprising an upper end portion fixed to said roof rail,

wherein said roof rail comprises a protrusion portion protruding in a vehicle width direction and extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and said protrusion portion comprises a fixation portion, said upper end portion fixed to said fixation portion, and a terminal end portion spaced apart from said center pillar reinforcement in the vehicle longitudinal direction,

a roof reinforcement extending inward, in the vehicle width direction, from said roof rail, said roof reinforcement positioned on the rearward side of and closest to the center pillar reinforcement; and

a door opening portion with a front edge side constituted by part of said center pillar reinforcement and an upper edge side constituted by part of said roof rail;

wherein

a corner portion of said door opening portion between the center pillar reinforcement and the roof rail is configured in an arc shape in a side view; and

said terminal end portion positioned on a rearward side of said fixation portion is positioned on the rearward side of a rear end of said corner portion and on a forward side of a front end of the roof reinforcement.